


Alec's Soft Spots

by Priscibeur



Series: Soft Spots [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (these might be triggering so be careful), Alec is Asmodeus' assistant, Alec's past is complicated, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Kind of Established-Relationship, M/M, Magnus has major daddy issues, Maryse Lightwood Being An Asshole, Mentions of Suicide, Mentions of addictions, Protective Jace Wayland, Robert Lightwood Being an Asshole, The Lightwood family is complicated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 02:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14761292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priscibeur/pseuds/Priscibeur
Summary: Now that Magnus and Alec both admitted they had feelings for each other, they can start having a proper relationship. But how complicated will this be when Alec doesn't tell Magnus anything, takes Asmodeus' side over his and keeps Magnus in the dark regarding his life? Alec know about Magnus' weak spots, but what about Alec's weak spots?





	1. Maybe imma get a little anxious, maybe imma get a little shy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for all the love you sent for the first part. I truly hope you'll love this second part of Malec's journey. Things are going to get messy and very complicated. Let's just say Alec's life is not easy. Hopefully, Magnus will be there to help him. 
> 
> Again, feel free to comment, tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, I'll make sure to improve the story as it goes on.
> 
> I'll leave you to the first chapter.
> 
> The title is from Charlie Puth's "The Way I Am"
> 
> Enjoy your reading! :)

Ever since Alec had started working for Asmodeus, he knew Magnus would also become a big part of daily life. Sure, he did not see him every day, but his boss talked about him every day. He couldn’t quite understand the relationship the two of them had. At the beginning, he thought they deeply hated each other. Based on what he saw in the media, the way his own father talked about the Banes in general, the small critics Asmodeus would make about Magnus’ latest misdeed or just the face of disappointment he would make when they would see a newsflash about yet another woman saying she was pregnant with his child.

“When will this boy ever grow up?” Asmodeus used to say. Magnus might have become one of the most successful businessmen in the city, but his débauche attitude still caught up with him and diminished his good work. That was the main reason why Alec insisted on Magnus going to the gathering in Chicago. Of course, Alec knew how difficult it was going to be but he knew it would have a good impact on Magnus’ career and on his complicated relation with his father. And it had worked. When Alec came to tell Asmodeus about the rapport Raphael gave him, the talks he had with Starkweather’s and Morgenstern’s assistants about how quickly they wanted to meet with the Banes and discuss about their future together, Asmodeus truly looked proud of his son. That was one of the many moments Alec understood how much Asmodeus cared for his son. The most striking in all of this, however, had been the call he got from his father’s assistant. She hadn’t called him since he made clear he didn’t want to have anything to do with his father. Lydia, as well as his entire family, knew he worked with Asmodeus, but she still sounded surprised when she heard him introduce himself. It brought back many memories, some more painful than others, but he still enjoyed catching up with Lydia. Their relationship had been quite peculiar, but they had managed to remain on good terms and that was enough for him.

However, the follow-up of Magnus’ actions was to set up a meeting with these men, and Alec didn’t know if he were ready to see his father, in the flesh, after such a long time. Of course, he knew he would have to be professional, and not let his personal life interfere with his work but he knew his father too well, so there was a good chance he was going to try and put Alec on the spot. As usual.

Thankfully, he had the chance to forget about what was to come this last weekend. Because of Magnus. _Magnus, Magnus, Magnus_. Magnus had been like a satellite in Alec’s life, flying around him, at a safe distant but never truly intervening in his life. Now, however, it was almost like he had come crushing on Alec and everything now revolved around Magnus. Just like the way Alec wanted it. Their relationship was starting to be... a relationship. Now he knew Magnus didn’t just see him as his father’s assistant. He knew he was interested in him. He wanted to have something with him. Alec never thought he could have that. A relationship. Yet alone with a man who was interested in him as well. Who _wanted_ him too.

Things were finally starting to be good for him, and there was no way he’d let him get away from him. Well, he still had to plan a meeting with both their fathers and Magnus himself in the same room, but that should be fine. Or not. Honestly, Alec had no idea what he was getting himself into and he didn’t know if he’d come out of it alive but he had to do his job either way.

“So, Wednesday, 10am. Sounds good for him?” Alec asked over the phone.

“I’ll have to make sure he wakes up on time but it should work. I’ll keep him out of Pandemonium the night before, so he should be fine” Raphael told him. Alec smiled and nodded, even if he couldn’t see him.

 _“Gracias_ Raphael. Try not to kill him until then, okay?” he teased him.

“I should be the one telling you that” Raphael snickered.

“Right” Alec agreed. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”

“ _Hasta luego_ , Alec” Raphael said before he hung up. Alec put down his phone before gathering his documents and stepping out of his small office to talk to Sara, Asmodeus’ secretary.

“Hey, Sara” he greeted her. “The meeting has been settled to Wednesday, 10am. Can you book the room A2 for it?”

“Of course” Sara said as she started taking notes. “Who will be there?”

“Valentine Morgenstern, Hodge Starkweather, Robert Lightwood and Magnus Bane. All of them will have their assistants with them, too.”

“Magnus is coming, too ?” Sara couldn’t help but laugh.

“Who would have thought, right?” Alec chuckled. Magnus was finally paying attention to his father’s business and he knew it meant the world to Asmodeus, even though he’d never admit it to anyone. Now, Alec just had to make sure Magnus would keep up with his end of the bargain. When he left Saturday night, he was pretty determined to prove his father he had evolved. Alec and him kept texting on Sunday, and between the bickering and the flirting, Alec had made sure Magnus was focused on his work. Asmodeus was not going to let Magnus screw this deal for him, he knew it, so he had to keep Magnus out of trouble and make sure he would do what he has to do.

“Let’s hope this meeting goes smoothly” Sara added. “I know it’s a huge deal for the company.”

“I’m positive Mr Bane will convince them.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Alec” Asmodeus said as he joined them.

Sara quickly stood up, as Alec clasped his hands behind his back.

“Good morning, Mr Bane” Sara said.

“Sir” Alec said sternly.

“At ease, soldier” Asmodeus teased him. “Good morning, Sara” he then smiled before looking at Alec again. “Meeting in my office?”

“I’ll be right behind you, sir” Alec nodded.

Asmodeus gave him a single nod, then passed him to enter his office. Sara waited until he closed the door to sit down again and sigh.

“Do you think I’ll stop embarrassing myself, someday?” she asked, making Alec chuckle.

“You’ll get there eventually. Meet you for lunch?” Sara nodded and Alec gave her one last smile before knocking one time at Asmodeus’ door and entering. His boss was seated at his desk, reading documents he had left there on Friday. Where and when Magnus had made him feel like an idiot, but where and when their relationship had taken another turn. He sat in front of his boss, taking out his tablet to take notes and tell Asmodeus about his day ahead.

“You have an appointment with the board at 9:30, then your wife wants to have lunch with you…”

“She called you, to make sure I had a lunch appointment with her?” Asmodeus interrupted him. Alec sent him an embarrassed smile.

“She said she couldn’t get a hold of you for the last two days, so she guessed you couldn’t avoid it if it was planned on your calendar” he explained. Alec knew their relationship was... particular. He never knew if Asmodeus had remarried out of love, out of fear of loneliness, or if he had just wanted to please his girlfriend at the time. He also knew they both didn’t live together, Asmodeus had been adamant on the fact that he couldn’t live with someone anymore and, surprisingly, his wife had accepted. Alec didn’t want to ask too many questions, so he just stuck to whatever Asmodeus told him. Helena was a pretty decent woman, she never tried to impose or interfere, she only tried to get as much as Asmodeus’ attention as she could get. And, sometimes, that required calling his assistant, because she hadn’t heard from her husband and wanted to make sure he was alive.

Asmodeus simply sighed and shook his head.

“And after that?”

“You have an appointment with the marketing team at 2:45, a meeting with the head of HR at 6 and a video-conference with investors in Tokyo at 8:30” Alec announced.

“Thank you. And regarding the meeting with your father? Have we settled a date?” Asmodeus asked him.

Alec looked at his tablet for a few seconds and licked his lips.

“Yes. The meeting with him, Mr. Starkweather and Mr. Morgenstern has been settled on Wednesday, 10 am.”

“And are you going to be okay?” Alec lifted up his head. No matter how many times Asmodeus had made it clear he considered him as his own son, it still caught him off guard whenever he showed he genuinely cared about him. He wasn’t used to having a father figure in his life, especially when the father figure was not acting like a father at all with his own son. He knew all about Magnus and Asmodeus’ conflicts, but he couldn’t help but hope that one day, they would sit down and have a heart to heart talk. They both suffered from this situation, Alec knew this, but these two were so similar that none of them would be ready to make the first move, if it meant shutting off their pride. In the mean time, Alec just had to make sure they didn’t kill each other and try to please both.

“Well, I haven’t seen my father, nor talked directly to him in years, but it was bound to happen at some point. I’ll just have to go through with it. He’s coming here to talk business, not about what went wrong between us. So I promise it won’t interfere with my job, sir.”

“Alec. I’ve known your father for twenty years, I know how ruthless he can be, and that’s a lot coming from me. He might try to get to you, so be careful” he warned him.

“I will, sir” Alec promised. He understood what it meant to hear this from Asmodeus. During his childhood, Alec had heard his father talk about him many, many times. Robert _loathed_ Asmodeus. Alec never clearly understood why he hated him so much, but he has quickly learned that Robert was not the nicest person on the planet, so he didn’t really need any reason for anything. This meeting was going to be a headache to deal with and Alec had to make sure everything went smoothly.

“So, when will we talk about the elephant in the room?” Asmodeus asked, as he read one of his files.

Alec frowned. “What do you mean, sir?”

“My son is interested in you” Asmodeus simply stated. Alec couldn’t see it, but he definitely felt the blush grow on his face.

“I, uh” Alec tried. “It’s not...”

“Are you interested in him?” his boss cut him off.

Alec looked down at his lap, not knowing how to answer this, but Asmodeus could read him easily, much to Alec’s dislike.

“I do not wish to find myself in a situation where I will have to chose between the two of you. Is that clear, Alec? I may have my problems with my son, but he’s still my son. I don’t want to have to fire you because you’re both going to break each other’s hearts and not be able to work together.”

Alec frowned.

“So, you’re fine with me... dating him?”

“I’m only asking you not to break his heart, and to take care of yours. He’s fragile, as you must know it. He’ll throw himself into this and not think about the possible consequences, so I need you to make sure, you want this” Asmodeus warned him.

Alec wanted this. He had wanted this since the first time he met Magnus. Everything about him had made Alec loose his calm. His wit, his eyes, the way he bare himself, his sly smile, how he always winked at Alec when his father wasn’t looking, the raw feelings Alec could see every time he looked into his eyes. Magnus was Alec’s walking fantasy. He had everything Alec desired in life, and now that he was willing to give it him, how could he refuse that?

“I’ll try my best not to break his heart, sir. But you know I can’t promise you our relationship will always be perfect” Alec winced.

“I am not asking for a perfect relationship, just be careful.”

“I’ll take care of Magnus” Alec promised.

“But don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.”

Alec finally understood what Asmodeus was trying to tell him. He was worried both of them would end up hurt if they decide to go through with it. Magnus would suffer, deeply, if it didn’t work. He had finally decided to give love a chance, with Alec, and he was going to put his entire soul in this. But Alec was also taking a huge risk. Sure, he knew a lot of things about Magnus, he knew him way too much for Magnus’ liking but he never knew what being with Magnus was like. He might be completely different from what Alec imagined him to be, and that would be a great deception for Alec. He didn’t really worry about this because it was inimaginable that Magnus could disappoint him, but he had to keep that in mind. Alec might deceive Magnus and break his heart in the long run, just like Magnus might burst the bubble Alec had created and break his heart even more. That was what Asmodeus was worried about. Seeing them both heartbroken, disappointed, probably unable to get over it and most definitely unable to work together, whatsoever.

“I will take care of myself, I promise. This relationship might end up badly for the both of us, but I’ll make sure to make it last. Your son deserves to be happy and I just want to make him happy.”

“In that case, you have my blessing” Asmodeus smiled.

***

Alec had just come out of his bathroom and was getting dressed in his bedroom, when someone rang at the door. He adjusted his black sweater and walked to the door. He had had a very long day, all the meetings he and Asmodeus went to were tiring. Some people had been incapable of doing their jobs right, so Alec had to try and fix most of them before his boss realised it and decide to fire some people. On top of that, he had to deal with Asmodeus’ wife, Helena, because he apparently stoop her up. Again, he had to find a good excuse for his boss and promised to set up another lunch date for them. Then, when he confronted Asmodeus about it… well, it went as smoothly as he expected it to be.

Right now, all he wanted was to order a pizza, lay on his couch and cuddle with Church, as they would watch some random sitcom on tv. However, what Alec forgot was that he was dating now. He had someone else to rely on, someone who wanted nothing but making him happy and try to make him forget about his tiresome day. And that someone was Magnus, who standing on the other side of the door as he opened it.

“I come bearing gifts” he announced as he showed the Italian take-out bags in his hand. “I hope I’m not too forward, I just wanted to spend some time with you” he added with a small smile.

Alec smiled back and leaned to kiss him on the lips. His right hand cupped his cheek, while his left arm surrounded his waist. Magnus was clearly surprised by Alec’s forwardness but didn’t mind at all. He kissed back, showing how much he missed him too and smiled even more than before when Alec leaned back.

“I’m glad you’re here” he admitted.

“I never would have guessed” Magnus chuckled. Alec shook his head and stepped to the side, to let him come in. Magnus stroke Church’s head after his set the food on the coffee table and turned to Alec who was joining.

“I’ll go grab some plates” Alec told him as he pointed towards the kitchen. Magnus nodded, and decided to stand until Alec returned. He looked again at the family portrait, hung on the wall and wanted to get closer, to try and see what his family looked like, but Alec came back too quickly for that.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, I actually wanted to talk to you” Alec told him as he sat down on the couch and put the plates on the table.

Magnus sat down close to him.

“Is this about the meeting?”

“Yeah. Raphael told you we set up a date?”

Magnus nodded.

“Good. I guess I should warn you about my father then…”

“Is it the part where you tell me about the story of your family?” Magnus smiled widely, and honestly, Alec couldn’t help but smile too.

“It would only be fair, wouldn’t it?” he chuckled lightly. He wished he could talk to Magnus for hours and lay it all out, to be held and reassured like he deeply wanted to be, but he couldn’t. Not right now. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready yet” he continued. Magnus sent him a faint smile, understanding, even if it hurt a bit. “To be completely honest, the only person I’m comfortable enough with to talk about my parents, beside my siblings, is your father” Alec then added, but almost regretted it when he saw Magnus’ face close off.

“Ah. I hadn’t realize my father would be my direct competition in this relationship.”

“Magnus” Alec sighed. “Your father is the closest thing I have to a parent. He will always be important to me.”

Magnus nodded, looking down at his lap.

“I get that. It’s just hard to process” he said quietly.

Alec knew he didn't just mean the fact that Asmodeus was important to Alec. He also meant the fact that his own father didn't care about him, but gave all the love and attention he had needed to another. Alec knew they'd have to talk about it at some point, so he tilted his head to the side, understanding how conflicted he might be feeling and he decided to try something.

“You love him too deep down. I know you do” he said. Magnus’ head shot up and he looked at him, right in the eye.

“Stop it” he warned him. “No more of that ‘I know too well.’ Not when I can’t compete” he added while shaking his head. Alec let out a soft chuckle and stroke Magnus’ cheek.

“It’s not supposed to be a competition, Magnus” he told him.

“That’s easy for you to say, you know everything about me!” he replied. “You can understand how frustrating it is for me.”

“I do. I understand” he assured. “So, let me just tell you this for Wednesday, it will give you an idea about how pleasant my father can be. When he sets his mind to it, he can be one the most vile human beings on Earth. Targeting all your soft spots and making you lose it. So please, don’t pay any attention to anything personal he might say.”

Magnus frowned, clearly surprised to hear Alec say these words.

“He was pretty nice when the last time I met him” he countered. “He clearly hates my father, I guess that’s what I liked him. But he seemed pretty harmless.”

Alec let out a cold laugh.

“Don’t let him fool you. He won’t hesitate to hurt you if he has to.”

“What happened between the two of you?” Magnus couldn’t help but ask.

“The better question would be: what hasn’t happen between the two of us” Alec tried to joke.

“Is it that bad?” Magnus insisted.

Alec sighed, looking at his hands, debating if he should tell Magnus right here, right now, how much his father, and his mother, had hurt their family by being selfish and despicable towards their own children. He honestly wanted to, to share his story with someone he trusted and with whom, he could sharing a big part of his life, if not his entire life. But he couldn’t do that to Magnus, he couldn’t tell him all of this two days before one of the most important meeting of his life. So he just shook his head and tried to send him a smile.

“Can we please change the subject? I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Magnus pouted a little but nodded before stroking his hair, a gesture that made Alec smile more sincerely this time.

“I hope you’ll trust me enough one day to confide in me. But how about little things?” he suggested. “Like your favorite meal, your favorite drink, your favorite color, your allergies... Basic boyfriend knowledge” he shrugged.

Alec bit his bottom lip, as he wanted to hide his wide smile.

“Boyfriend?” he repeated. “Be careful, Mags, it’s only our second date, wouldn’t want to move too fast now, would we?” he teased.

Magnus scoffed a little, as Alec took his hand to kiss his palm, and tried to hide the blush growing on his cheeks.

“I had no idea you could be so sassy. I really like this Alexander” Magnus told him.

“I’m glad” Alec smiled, proudly. He leaned to take out the boxes from the bag, to put them on the table. “So tell me, how’s Chairman?”

“A grumpy diva, as always” Magnus joked, but he was serious deep down. “He spends more time than usual next to me, like he couldn’t survive if we were not close to each other” he explained.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m starting to wonder what you did to my cat while I was away.”

“I just gave him a lot of love, and I’m certain he enjoyed it very much. You should try cuddling with him” Alec suggested, as he handed him a plate of food.

“I’ll have you know that I give the proper amount of cuddles to my cat, Alexander” he defended himself.

“Right, that’s why he always begged for more when I was with him” Alec laughed.

Magnus pointed his fork at him and tried to look threatening.

“Don’t you dare try to steal my son away from me. I will not allow you to, Alexander” he told.

Alec let out a sincere laugh, then grabbed Magnus neck with his free hand to get his face closer to him and kissed him on his forehead. That simple gesture rendered Magnus completely defenceless.

“I won’t steal him, I promise.”

Magnus simply nodded, too shocked by what just happened to argue even further. It really caught him off guard when Alec became this soft and affectionate man. Magnus had spent the last four years picturing him as this unbreakable man, who always blushed lightly when Magnus flirted with him and who seemed to not be bothered by anything, honestly. Now, he was discovering the real Alexander. The one he’d always want to know about and he loved it. He knew he was putting his heart on the line and that he might get hurt in the process, but he didn’t care because it meant spending time with Alec and sharing intimate moments that belong only to them both, just like this one.

“So, tell me about you day” Alec asked him.

And Magnus had fun telling him all about how he drove Raphael crazy that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that, see you next time!  
> Take care! :)


	2. “I always want to ask you, is there such thing as an end without a start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My deeeeeeeeeeepest apologies for the wait. Life got in the way of things and I didn't have time to write, but I'm back now! I promise, the updates will be more frequent from now on.
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback, for all the love, for your comments, it means a lot to me and it warmed my heart!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and that you're ready because our boys are going to suffer a lot, beginning now. Please don't hate me too much haha
> 
> Title from “Missed Connections” by DK (Seventeen).
> 
> Love you guys a lot!

“What are you gonna do about Dad?”

Alec stopped his movements to look at his sister, who was holding the bag he was punching. It was very early in the morning, like every time they met to train. Isabelle owned a boxing club, she had for a few years now and it worked pretty well. Her team was composed of real passionates and they trained novices all the way to professional boxers. They also taught self-defence classes, like krav maga, jiu-jitsu, and many others Alec had completely forgotten about. The only thing he cared about was that his sister was happy. She had managed to find a balance in her life and that was all he wanted for her. They both had found something that pleased them, made them happy and they were there for each other. That, was their biggest strength. But some mornings, one of them needed to blow off some steam (mostly Alec) so they’d meet up before the club opened and talk (punch) things out.

This morning, Alec had been complaining about their Dad _—shocker—,_ how much he feared their meeting the next day, how things were bound to be complicated with Magnus and how much he hated the situation he was in.

“Suck it up and deal with it?” he shrugged.

“Shitty plan, but I guess that’s the best plan you could go for” Isabelle agreed. “Still, be careful. He hasn’t seen in you in years, who knows what he prepared for you.”

As much as Alec wanted to reassure himself, his sister was painfully right. Robert always had something up on his sleeve. Now that he was seeing his eldest son again, after so many years, there was no doubt he would try to break him like always.

“And you say Magnus is going to be there, too?” she asked.

“Yeah. Hopefully, we’ll be able to arrange a deal with the four of them” Alec explained.

“Are you sure it’s wise to have sex with a potential associate?” she teased him. Alec sent her an annoyed look, but she knew him well enough to know she actually made him feel lighter with this joke.

“I’m not having sex with Magnus” he started.

“Yet” she smiled.

“We’re just getting to know each other first” he told her.

Isabelle sent her an amused smile and crossed he arms.

“Right, it’s not like you’ve known each other for four years, or whatever” she said ironically. Alec rolled his eyes and went to get his bottle of water, Isabelle following him.

“I was just his father’s assistant for four years” he corrected her. “Now, he needs to know the real me. The person that I truly am.”

“And I’m sure you’ve told him all about you already, right?”

This time, Alec didn’t dare to look at her. She knew him too well and that was why she knew he hadn’t. Alec didn’t even need to tell her, she already knew. Alec didn’t speak about his problems. She had been there when Hell broke loose around him, so she knew what he had been through with his parents, and his life in general, but she also knew he hadn’t told anyone else the story of his life. That he hadn’t trusted anyone.

“And you? How are things with Simon?” Alec asked.

Isabelle sighed. She hated when Alec did that, change the subject —not subtly, by the way— because he didn’t want to be faced with all the things he needed to deal with. Her big brother liked to face complicated situations, to make something right, because he was like that. He needed things to be right, to bring justice to those who had been wronged and to make the people he loved and cared about happy. However, when it came to make him happy, that was an completely different story. Alec could go on for years stuck in a painful situation and not see anything wrong about it. He just didn’t care about his heart, it didn’t matter to him if he were to be heartbroken as long as his loved ones were fine. Izzy went along with it, because there was nothing she could do. She knew Alec was in a tight spot, that his life might take a dreadful turn very soon so she needed to try and be there for him, not bring down and shove everything that he did wrong in his face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” she smirked.

Alec sent her an amused smile.

“Oh? Should I call him then?” he started moving toward his bag and Isabelle knew him too well to think he was joking so she grabbed his arm.

“Stop it!” she told him. “We’re having our third date tomorrow night. Hopefully, that’ll go well.”

This time, Alec sent her this brotherly gaze, full of love, that she always complained about, but loved deep down.

“Does he make you happy?” he asked her, genuinely.

“He keeps me calm” she said first. “He makes smile, he makes laugh, he knows how to make me forget about everything that makes me angry, he teaches me new things, he challenges me” she listed.

“ A ‘yes’ would have been enough” he interrupted her. She hit him playfully in the arm and chuckled lightly.

“Yes, big brother, he makes happy, so stop worrying about me” she reassured him.

“I’ll always worry about you, Izzy, you know that. You should also know that I’m going to send him a message and threaten to kill him if he ever hurts you” he joked.

“Then you should also know that I’m capable of defending myself” she replied. Alec simply nodded. He knew way too well how capable his sister was. Isabelle used to have anger issues when she was younger. She always had a fiery temper, always defended the weaker and never let anyone talk down to her. It grew worse when their mother started blaming Isabelle for every possible decision she could make, right or wrong, and one day, she lashed out and broke everything around her. That only reinforced their parent’s image of her and they started treating like she was crazy, unstable and so on… Her teenage years were hard, for everyone but then she met Simon and Clary. They told her about a program available at the association they worked at. Since that, she became more… calm and tempered. She decided to use the money their grandparents had left for them and started this club, which was working really well now. Alec had felt so proud when he saw how stable she had become. He spent all of his time worrying about his siblings, so seeing her like this, made him feel lighter. Which reminded him of another issue.

“By the way, have you heard from Jace?” he asked. “I tried to talk to him, about when he could come home, I left him several messages, but he didn’t call me back.”

Izzy nodded slightly, as she unwrapped bandage around from her hand.

“I talked to him yesterday” she said. “Don’t worry, he’s fine. He just doesn’t want to talk about that for now… He’s too ashamed.”

Alec sighed and sat on the bench. He put his elbows on his knees, sighed again and shook his head. He knew Jace loved him and sought his respect more than anything else, but sometimes, he just seemed to forget Alec was his brother, so he was always going to be there for him, no matter what.

“He has no reason to feel ashamed, he’s my bother” he said. “I support him and stand by him. Always. I’m not mad because he had a relapse. He’s constantly working on his addiction, tries to be better and he’s a fighter. How could I be mad at him?”

Izzy nodded and put her hand on his shoulder.

“I know you’re not, big brother, but he is mad at himself. You know how much he hates to disappoint you.”

“The only thing that could disappoint me is if he gives up, and I know he won’t.”

“But does _he_ know he won’t?” Izzy suggested.

Alec nodded again, understanding what she meant and Jace’s position as well. He’d been through so much these last few years, his entire life, even. Their parents did not help, per usual, and Jace could easily be influenced. He had gone down this terrible spiral and he only managed to get ahold of himself, when Clary and Simon came into the picture. Every time Alec thought of these two, he thank all the Gods above for bringing them into his siblings’ lives. They helped them get better, supporting them all the way to recovery and believed in them like no one before. Of course, Alec had been there. He had tried to help his siblings, he had tried to help them get better, but there was only so much he could do, especially when his parents hated him and treated him like he was nothing. It also took him a lot of courage to become strong enough to stand up to his parents and to go on with his own life, the way he wanted it. He was scared Jace and Isabelle wouldn’t understand, but they did. At least, Izzy did, Jace couldn’t even understand what was happening. All in all, they all got their lives back on track. Jace was still in the process, but he was going to get better soon. Alec would make sure of it.

“I’ll give him some time” Alec finally said. “But we’ll have to talk at some point.”

“I’ll make sure to tell him” Izzy smiled. “Now, get your ass out of here and get to work” she ordered him.

Alec stood up straight. “Sir. Yes, sir!“

“Fuck off” she laughed and pushed him forward.

*******

Alec was laying on his bed, reading a rapport Sara had just send him when he heard his phone ring. He didn’t even look at the ID caller and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Oh! He’s alive!” Magnus exclaimed.

Alec closed his eyes and slapped himself mentally. His day had been so full and went by so fast, he didn’t even have time to call, or text Magnus. He wasn’t really familiar with this whole dating thing, but he knew he was at least supposed to contact Magnus to tell him he was fine. He put his papers aside and sat up straight on his bed.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t text or call today” he apologized.

“It’s okay Alexander. I’m sure my father must be keeping you busy at all times” he couldn’t help but tease. Alec knew this was a joke, but also a reproach at the same time. Unfortunately, he knew better than to piss off Magnus, so he decided to disregard that aspect.

“Well, we have an important meeting to plan” Alec replied. “A meeting that needs to go as smoothly as possible, or your father will murder me.”

Magnus chuckled lightly on the other end.

“I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you if things go south” he reassured him.

“I appreciate that, thank you” Alec smiled. “So, you decided to have a night in?”

“Well, you see, I have this very important meeting tomorrow, which could be life changing. So I figured I should stay home to look fresh and make my gorgeous boyfriend drool” he teased?

Alec smiled even more. “That’s a pretty good plan.”

“I know, right? You think it’ll work?”

“Most definitely. I'm almost certain you’d make him drool even if you were wearing a potato sack” he said.

Magnus hummed. “I guess I should test that theory.”

Alec chuckled lightly. “You’re a dork. How come I didn’t know this?”

“Ah-ha!” Magnus exclaimed. “I can still surprise you!”

“It would appear so” Alec agreed as he laid down on his bed. “Tell me about your day?”

And Magnus gladly obliged.

*******

Alec was pacing around the meeting room Sara had booked for what was going to be one of the most stressful moments in Alec’s life. He knew he’d eventually have to see his father at some point in his life, sooner than he had hoped when Asmodeus brought up the idea of a deal between them and really soon when Magnus had managed to convince Robert. Alec had some time to prepare himself, to get ready for the worst and yet, he couldn’t stop fidgeting and pacing, like it was going to calm him down or something. Truth be told, he already what could him down: get this day over with and move on. He didn’t know what to expect from his father, he didn’t know what to expect from this meeting, he didn’t know what to expect from Asmodeus’ confrontation with Robert... He didn’t know anything, actually. His mind was empty. Blank. And that was not helpful. He was supposed to act professional, play his part as Asmodeus’ assistant, not feel like a frightened little boy who was scared to meet with his dad after so many years.

“Everything alright, Alec?”

The young man turned his head to see Asmodeus enter the room and walk up to him.

“It will be, eventually” he sighed.

Asmodeus chuckled lightly and patted his shoulder.

“Try not to worry too much. I will do the talking part today. I will convince these gentlemen to partner up with me and all you have to do is write what is being said. Apart from 'Good morning, thank you and goodbye', you won’t have to talk to you father.”

“If everything goes to plan” Alec couldn’t help but add.

“Let’s make sure everything goes to plan then” Asmodeus smiled.

“Mr. Bane?” said Sara’s light voice. “Magnus Bane and his assistant, Raphael Santiago are here” she announced.

Magnus and Raphael entered the room and Alec stopped breathing. They hadn’t seen each other since Monday and seeing him again reminded Alec just how much effect Magnus had on him. He was wearing a black jacket on a dark red button up, black skinny jeans that looked way too tight and black dress shoes. His hair was spiked up, there was only a thin khol line around his eyes and -surprisingly- he only wore his silver ring. The one his mother had given him.

"Gentlemen” he greeted them.

“Mr Bane, Alec” said Raphael.

“I am glad you could make it” Asmodeus smiled lightly. Magnus tried to smile back but his eyes showed how much he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

“I was told this deal could change my life, so I had to come and see if it was really worth it” he replied.

“It will be worth it, son” Asmodeus assured as he put his hand on his shoulder. “I promise.”

Magnus looked at the hand on his shoulder as if it has personally offended him and Alec has to hold back his laugh.

“Please, have a seat” he invited them to do. Raphael nodded and smiled at him, before instructing Magnus to follow him. The latter sent a small smile to Alec and brushed their hands together as he passed him to seat next to Raphael. Quickly after, Hodge Starkweather and Valentine Morgenstern arrived with their assistants, Raj Ablack and Johnathan Morgenstern respectively. The two businessmen were quite please to see Magnus again and Alec could see on his boss’ face he was really proud to see his son so involved.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep on admiring the bond that was growing between the Banes as Sara came back to the room, with his father and Lydia this time. Alec felt his entire body go cold as he saw his father enter the room. Lydia’s smile was bright when she laid eyes on him but he couldn’t even try to send one back because of his father’s cold eyes on him.

“Robert” said Asmodeus. “I’m glad you’re here.” Alec hated to admit but he was truly thankful for Asmodeus’ presence right now because he couldn’t even think straight.

“Your _son_ made quite the offer. I couldn’t refuse it.” The way he had emphasized on the word 'son' almost made Alec’s skin crawl. “I see you kept your promise, Magnus. You really came.” He had walked around an end of the table to go sit next to him. Alec and Asmodeus were standing behind the other end, with Hodge and Valentine to their left and Magnus and Robert on their right.

“I always keep my promises” Magnus smiled.

“I wish my son was the same” he replied as he sat down and there it was. The game has began and Alec didn’t know how long he could keep calm. Though he was pretty sure his father would be the first one to start the hostilities.

“Shall we get started?” Asmodeus suggested. He placed his hand on Alec’s shoulder to make him sit as well. The two men sat and Alec got ready to take notes. Asmodeus began to expose his ideas, the visions he had for their possible alliance and Alec remembered why he had wanted to work with this man -other than to piss off his father. Asmodeus was a visionary, he always saw forward, he didn’t let his personal life interfere with work. He knew what he wanted to do for this city and its people, he knew who he wanted to work with to make it happen and he knew how to convince the right people. Hodge and Valentine looked pleased with his proposition. He and Alec had worked hard on it for the last few days, to make sure every little dark area was covered, so they could answer every single possible question.

Asmodeus wanted to open an underground club, with a restaurant on top of it. At first, it didn’t look like anything revolutionary. There were many restaurants in the city, many underground clubs, but none of them had the Bane touch. Asmodeus knew how to convince people, but Alec helped him realise that having Magnus involved with his unique ideas would be beneficial, in contrast with the other men’s visions. Magnus was the perfect man to shake things up and allow this project to shine. Having Magnus met them first was also the smart move because his charms worked and made them want to learn more about Asmodeus’ offer. With Asmodeus and Robert’s skills combined on top of this, there was no doubt this project would be a success. Moreover, this place would be situated in one of the developing neighborhoods of the city, so it would not only bring great advertisement for this area but also bring a lot of money to them.

“So you’d want me to run the club?” Magnus asked in awe.

“Of course, you’re a great business man, Magnus. Your clubs are working really well, people love you as a person. If we join our forces, I’m certain we can make this work” his father answered.

“And regarding the restaurant?” Hodge wondered. “Do you already have a list of chefs to run it? We’ll need some big names to attract enough people.”

“I already reached out to some famous chefs, they were happy to hear who they’d be working for, so that’s covered” Alec said. “They were also thrilled to know they’d have an underground club right underneath their feet” he chuckled lightly.

“So what, you think you know how to make a business run after working with him for a few years?” Robert intervened.

They all turned their heads towards him and Alec froze as he met his gaze.

“Stop deluding yourself, Alexander” he continued. “You’re nothing but a failure, working with someone like Asmodeus Bane won’t change anything about it.”

Magnus turned his head towards Alec and felt his heart tighten when he saw how pale he looked. He seemed really moved by his father’s words and Magnus began to understand why he had kept on warning him.

“Robert. I suggest your change your tone” Asmodeus told him.

“I really like your idea, Asmodeus” he continued. “I’ll happy to work with you, but under one condition. I want you to fire my son.”

Everybody was clearly shocked by this turn of events, as no one had expected it. Alec knew his father would try and make him feel bad about himself, but he hadn’t thought his father would have the nerve to meddle with his job like that.

“You can’t be serious” Asmodeus scoffed.

“Oh but I am. I mean, your son is already involved in this business, and for good reasons, but I don’t see why mine has to be as well. It’s not like he is going to help with anything. Trust me, I know my son, he’s not capable of dealing with this sort of things. They are beyond him, I know it.”

“And how exactly do you know this?” Asmodeus asked, truly curious this time.

“Because it is clear I have failed as a father to him. He doesn’t have any clue what’s right or not” he said coldly. He turned his gaze to his son and Alec didn’t even flinch. He looked at him straight in the eye, as he should have all these years ago during their last talk. At that time, he had been scared, he had been afraid of disappointing and hurting his father, but he only ended up hurting himself, and he hadn’t deserve that. So now, he was going to stay strong and show his father he was not scared of him.

“That’s enough” sighed Asmodeus. “We are here to talk business, not have a debate about wether or not you are a poor father. So let’s go back to our main topic.”

“That’s rich coming from the man who has given up hope on his only child because he couldn’t bear the fact that he took his own mother away from him” Robert replied.

That was the line he shouldn’t have crossed. Alec had seen Asmodeus angry many times in the course of these four years working together but the face he was making right now, it almost seemed like he was figuring out how to kill Robert and dispose of his body without anyone noticing. However, what his father had just said did not only touched Asmodeus but also Magnus, an judging by his confused face, it was clear he had no idea whatsoever about what was going on.

"I’m warning you for the last time, Robert, let’s get back to our topic and no more useless digression” Asmodeus told him.

“Actually, I’d like to know what’s going on right, now” Magnus intervened.

“Son, now’s not the time to…” Asmodeus began.

“On the contrary, I think it’s a great time” Robert interrupted him. “We are all in the same place, for the first time, we should make the most of it, don’t you agree?”

“Dad…” Alec tried with a cracked voice.

“You do not get to call me that, boy” his father said in the coldest tone possible. “You lost that privilege when you brought shame to our family, and even more when you sided with the enemy. Payback is only fair, isn’t it? Your son deserves to know what you took from him” he told Asmodeus.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Magnus asked as he started to lose his cool.

Valentine sighed, deciding he’d had enough of this bickering and intervened.

“Your father had an affair, young man. That’s why your mother killed herself.”

Asmodeus closed his eyes and clenched his fists on the table, while Magnus looked at Valentine, as if he had just ripped his heart out of his chest. Alec, on the other hand, just sat there, clearly not understanding how things got out of hands so quickly.

“What?” muttered Magnus.

“Your mother was really sick” Hodge explained softly. “We knew her very well and liked her, but she always dealt with her problems with alcohol. When she had you, she started to get better. Your father was more present, your family life seemed to become somewhat normal, but when he cheated on her… It all happened in an instant. One minute she was fine, and the next, she killed herself” he told him, still sick with how everything went down.

“She didn’t die because she hated me?” Magnus whispered.

“You were the light in her life, Magnus. Everybody saw and knew it” Hodge assured him.

“Your father however had no intention of settling down” Valentine added. At the mention of his father, it almost seemed like Magnus just remembered he was in the same room. He turned his face to look at him: guilt and shame were splashed all over his face. He never thought Magnus would find out about this, at least, not from someone else, but he clearly had underestimate Robert and his desperate need of vengeance. He had waited all this time to find the perfect moment to strike and it was a hit: Magnus looked like he was about to jump on his father and punch him until he couldn’t move. However, Alec knew Magnus. He was not going to hit his father, not with his punches at least.

“Son…” Asmodeus tried.

“You’re the reason she killed herself. Not me” he stated.

“Magnus…”

“All these years” he interrupted him, coldly. “You blamed me. You blamed your own son. For what? Because you couldn’t face the fact that you had fucked up and killed the mother of your child?!” he accused him as he abruptly stood up.

Asmodeus closed his eyes for a few seconds and shook his head.

“It was easier to put the blame on you rather than admitting that I had taken away your mother from you.”

“Right” Magnus ironically agreed. “Because having a child feeling guilty about his own mother is so much better.”

“You don’t understand, I…”

“You’re wrong” Magnus cut him off again. “I do understand. You just couldn’t own up to it and admit you messed up and try to make amends. You decided to be the cowardly bastard that you are, rather than apologize. Just when I thought I couldn’t despise you more. Even you manage to do that, father. Congratulations.”

And with that, he stormed off out of the room, Raphael closely following him. Robert had a smug smile on his face, while Lydia clearly didn’t know where to put herself. Neither did Raj or Jonathan to be honest. They had just come to work with their bosses, to write down everything important and this bombshell had been dropped. Hodge seemed clearly pissed at Robert, whereas Valentine almost looked annoyed.

“I suggest you leave this building immediately, Robert” Asmodeus stated as he stood up.

“Why would I? I was just starting to have fun here” he replied, smiling.

“Do as he says, or I’ll ask security to escort you out” Alec intervened.

Robert sent him an flat look and shook his head.

“Well, I at least hope I made myself clear” he said, standing up as well. “I’ll wait for your phone call, Asmodeus.”

He nodded at Hodge and Valentine, before ordering Lydia to follow him. The blond sent a sad look to Alec, but followed her boss nonetheless.

“We should leave as well” Hodge declared. “Contact our assistants to reschedule the meeting. Let’s go, Valentine.”

The bold man stood up and followed the blond one, their assistants following close behind. Once they were left alone, Asmodeus let out a deep sigh and Alec took his head between his hands. What the hell had just happened here? How did things escalate so quickly? How was all of this out of Alec’s hands? And _God,_ Magnus. He must be so devastated right now. He needed to reach out to him and fast but, he still had a job to do.

“Mr. Bane, I’m… So sorry for what happened, I… I never thought my father would bring up this subject. I…”

“Stop” Asmodeus told him. “It’s not your fault if were cursed with such a… father figure” he sighed. “You couldn’t have guessed what he would do. Magnus must resent me so much right now.”

“I’ll make sure to talk to Magnus, and fix this. Then, I’ll try to rearrange a meeting, without my father this time, and…”

“Alec” Asmodeus cut him off again. “I think you should take some days off.”

“What?” he muttered.

“What your father just did, must have hurt you” Asmodeus explained while shaking his head. “The way he talked to you, the things he told you… You should take some time for yourself. Sara will replace you, for the time being.”

No. There was no way Alec was letting that happen. He couldn’t let his father be right about him, not about his job. Alec had worked hard for his place and to maintain it too. He knew right from the start that it wouldn’t be easy, that his parents were going to flip off even more and disown him in every possible way. However, he enjoyed working with Asmodeus. He was a great person but also a good person. Granted, the things he did in his past were terrible, but anyone close enough to him would know how much he resents himself for everything he’s done, for the pain he caused to his late wife and especially to his son, his only son. Alec was one of the few people who liked and supported Asmodeus, and he knew him too well now, so he knew he was not going to react well to what just happened and he needed to be here for him.

“I can’t leave you alone, Mr. Bane, I…”

“Do as I say, Alec.”

“But, Mr. Bane…”

“That was not a request, Alexander. Take a few days off.”

And this time, Alec didn’t add anything. As much as he didn't want to let go of this so easily and insist, he knew better than to push Asmodeus too far. He had reached his limits, so the best to do now was obey and wait. Wait for any sign from. He stood up and nodded at him before leaving the office, hoping he would at least get ahold of the other Bane.

*******

But of course not. He had been to Magnus’ place and no one had answered. He swung by Pandemonium and no one could tell him where he went. He even tried calling Raphael but it went straight to voicemail. Now, Alec was sitting on his couch, in his appartement, Church sitting on his lap. Alec sent another text message to Magnus before calling him. It rung, rung, rung… and voicemail.

“Magnus, it’s Alec. Again. Please pick up the phone, I need to talk to you.”

He waited a few minutes and called again. Voicemail, again.

“Magnus, it’s me again. Please call me back. I need to know if you’re okay.”

He sent a text message —he has stopped counting how many he had sent by now— and tried calling again. He sighed when he was again sent to voicemail.

“Mags, please. I just need to hear your voice. Just call me back. Or text me. Just send me something, so I know you’re alive and well.”

He hung up and let his head fall back. He stroke Church and looked at the ceiling. He kept thinking about it, over and over, but he still couldn’t understand how his father could be such a moron. What did it bring to him to hurt the Banes like that? Alec scoffed at the thought. Robert never hid how much he despised them, even though they were great at what they did, so a low blow like that was actually to be expected. He just didn’t think he’d do it this way. All of that just so Asmodeus would fire Alec? Well, he managed to damage Asmodeus and Magnus’ relationship even more, so there’s that, but he also managed to shatter Asmodeus’ trust in Alec.

He had never dismissed Alec this way. Never. He might have been pissed or irritated many times, but Alec always managed to calm him down. He guessed this was different as Alec was the main reason this situation had happened in the first place.

His train of thoughts was disturbed by his phone, which pinned with a text message. He quickly opened it, heart beating fast, before his shoulders collapsed.

“ ** _I need time and I don’t want to talk to anyone right now, Alec. Please understand._** ” —Magnus

Alec let his phone fall, face down, on the couch and groaned. Of course he understood Magnus but damn it.

Everything was great. both Banes didn’t want to talk to him, his father had ruined his life even more and he wasn’t even sure if he still had a job. That day was just perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can hate Robert all you want haha  
> Thank you for reading, love you! :)


	3. “Sometimes, we may get tired or sick. That’s okay, I am by your side”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I apologise for the angst, but we need to get through it before it gets better.  
> We also meet three new characters, some meaner than others.
> 
> I hope you'll like it!
> 
> Title from You Never Walk Alone, BTS.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“ _¡Cabrón_!” Izzy exclaimed as she stopped punching the bag Alec was holding. They had meet up the next morning, so Alec could tell Isabelle what happened and maybe get some comfort from his sister.

“He just dropped these bombs like it was no big deal and that was it?” she asked.

“Yeah” Alec sighed. “Then Magnus told me he couldn’t talk to anyone, but I just want to help him and I don’t know how to do it” he admitted.

“He’ll come through,” she told him, trying to reassure her brother “Just give him time like he asked you, and he’ll come back when he’s ready.”

“And how long will I have to wait?”

“As long as you have to” Izzy replied.

“And what if he never wants to talk to me again? What if he decides he doesn’t want to be involved with the Lightwoods anymore after what our father did? What if...”

“ _Dios mío Alec, ¡cállate!_ ” she exclaimed. “He’s not going to give up on you. Just because he needs time to think and center himself again does not mean he is going to give up on you.”

Alec crossed his arms and shrugged slightly. Isabelle could feel her heart tighten. She hated to see her big brother like that. She knew how he felt, like he had betrayed Magnus, like he should have defended him better, like he should have tried harder to protect him from their father. Basically, like he should have done anything to try and protect Magnus from being hurt. But he hadn’t because he couldn’t, and Isabelle needed to make him understand that it was okay not to be able to protect everyone from being hurt sometimes. She got closer to him and took his face between her hands.

“Alec, you need to stop putting the weight of the entire world on your shoulders” she told him. “Magnus isn’t a fragile little boy you need to protect from all the harm in the world. Yes, maybe you could have tried to get him out of the room so he wouldn’t have to listen to our father, but you were hurting too. You were facing the person who hurt you the most in your life. You were petrified and trying to protect yourself. There is nothing wrong with that. You have the right to be selfish and put yourself first, okay?”

Alec sent her a weak smile and nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, his little sister was right. He had been facing the man who made his life a living hell for a few years, the man who had destroyed every bit of self-confidence he ever had, the one who told him repeatedly he would never achieve anything in his life if he didn’t listen to him. It had taken years for Alec to gather the courage to stand up to him and protect himself and his siblings. Then he had spent the last few years avoiding his father, because he didn’t feel ready to face him, nor his judgement. He had been right to be scared, his father didn’t disappoint and tried his best to destroy him all over again.

Now, Alec’s life was… suspended. His boss had dismissed him for a few days, his brother was avoiding him and his newly boyfriend didn’t want to talk to him. So, he could wait and hope someone would try and fix the situation, or he could take matter into his own hands and fix things himself.

He took Izzy’s head between his hands and kissed the top.

“Thank you” he smiled at her.

“You’re very welcome” she chuckled. “Just don’t do anything stupid, alright?”

“I make no promises,” he teased, before laughing and go take a shower. He might not be able to change Asmodeus’ decision -he knew the man needed to take his time-, however, he could try and make his brother feel better, show him his support, but first, he needed to talk to Magnus. He had been waiting for him for so long, he needed to make this work. Magus was worth it, their relationship could lead to everything Alec needed in his life so he had to fight for it and fix things.

*******

“Alexander…” Magnus said softly. He looked truly surprised to see Alec standing on his doorstep, but Alec was even more surprised when he watched closely at Magnus. His hair was down, hiding his forehead, his face was bare -he wore absolutely zero makeup- and he was wearing black sweatpants and a black hoodie. A freaking hoodie. Magnus Bane didn’t wear hoodies. He looked so much younger than he was and his eyes conveyed so much sadness, all Alec wanted to do was hug him and not let anything bad happen to him ever again. However, when he saw the half-empty bottle of whisky in his hand, it felt like a cold shower to him.

“What are you doing here?” Magnus finally asked. Alec looked up to meet his gaze and bit his bottom lip.

“I wanted to see how you were doing and try and cheer you up” he tried with a weak smile. Magnus sent him one as well and let him enter the apartment. Alec walked in and was hit by the strong smell of alcohol and, judging by the already empty bottle on the coffee table, it clearly wasn’t Magnus’ first bottle.

“Want something to drink?” Magnus offered as he joined him. Alec turned around to look at him and shook his head.

“I don’t drink” Alec told him.

“Not even water?” Magnus tried to tease.

“Will you join me and drink some as well?”

“I’m good with what I have” he answered before drinking a gulp from his bottle. “So, what can I do for you, Alexander Lightwood?” he asked as he sat down on his couch. He crossed his legs and put his free hand on the back of the couch. Alec stood there, feeling uneasy at the way Magnus had pronounced his last name. This truly was not going to be easy.

“I told you, I wanted to see how you were, if you needed anything, if I could help…”

“Oh, I think I’ve received enough help from your family already” Magnus cut him off dryly.

Alec sighed slightly.

“I am not my father, Magnus. I would never let him hurt you like that. I even warned you beforehand!” he defended himself.

“I know you did, I remember Alec. But you didn’t protect me from my father” Magnus told him.

So, that was the problem. Asmodeus.

“Magnus, we were at my workplace. I was there as Asmodeus’ assistant, not your boyfriend” he began softly. “I couldn’t lash out at him and defend you in front of my boss and his future business partners. Plus, being in the same room as my father, it was almost as if my brain had completely shut down” he admitted.

“Oh, so if your father hadn’t been there, you would have defended my honour, is that it?” Magnus asked ironically.

“You might find it hard to believe, but if it had been the three of us, I would have told your father to tell you in better conditions, so you wouldn’t be hurt this much” Alec assured.

Magnus titled his head to side, taking in what Alec was telling him and frowned a bit.

“Wait.”

He let out a cold snicker.

“It almost seems like you… knew about this. But you didn’t, right?” he asked.

Alec opened his mouth but closed it right away, not knowing what to say, but that was all Magnus needed to explode when he understood.

“YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS?!” he exclaimed, standing up.

Alec took a step back and held his hands to protect himself, even though he knew Magnus would never do anything to actually hurt him physically. Verbally, however, he needed to be very careful in his explanation or he could lose Magnus forever, and he couldn’t live with himself if that happened.

“You father confessed it to me, two years ago, on the anniversary of your mother’s death” he began. “We were at the office. He told me he was going to stay there and focus on work to try and forget the date. When I came back a few hours later to pick something up, I saw him in his office. He was drunk and miserable. I was trying to help him go home and he just let it all out” he explained. “He hates himself for it, Magnus, trust me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Magnus simply asked, disregarding the rest of his explanation.

“It was not my place” Alec answered shaking his head. “You and I barely talked to each other at that time, I couldn’t come up to you and tell you that. Plus, you already hated your father enough as it was, I couldn’t add this on top on things” he pleaded.

“You’re right. I hated him then and I hate him even more now” Magnus said, because taking a long gulp from his bottle this time.

Alec bit his bottom lip, to restrain himself but he couldn’t let him do this to himself.

“Please stop drinking” he pleaded.

Magnus let out a new cold laugh.

“Why? Are you scared I’m going to end up just like my mom?” he asked.

“I…”

“Are you scared I’m going to destroy myself too?” he cut him off, harshly.

“I don’t…”

“Are you scared I’ll give up on life, drown my sorrows in alcohol and let it take me?” he cut him off again.

“YES!” Alec finally exclaimed, tears in his eyes. “I don’t want to see another person I love risk their life because of it.”

Magnus frowned, looking genuinely confused and didn’t insist with his terrible questions. Alec shook his head, not liking the turn this conversation was taking, while Magnus took a step towards him.

“Another person?” he repeated. “What are you talking about?” Magnus asked, almost softly. As if he had had just become another person.

He couldn’t. Alec really wanted to answer him and tell him, but the words couldn’t come out.

“I can’t talk about this right now” he said quietly. He almost felt the air change around him as Magnus seemed to be closing himself off again. Magnus had been patient with him. Granted, they had officially been together for a few days, but their relationship had started long before that. Alec knew Magnus perfectly, even the small things he didn’t want him to know, yet, he had felt excited to share his life with someone who understood him so well. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do the same, as Alec was really secretive about his life. He managed to obtain some information, here and there, but nothing concrete, nothing that showed him how much Alec trusted him. So he needed his boyfriend to open himself and share things with him, otherwise, their relationship was doomed.

“You will not come out of this so easily, Alexander. Why can’t you tell me the truth?” he wondered.

“I just can’t, alright?” Alec sighed.

“No, it is not alright” Magnus replied. “I demand to know the truth, you owe me at least that, considering what your father did.” It was a low blow, Magnus was fully aware of it, but he needed the truth. Desperately.

Alec licked his lips and looked at the ground, feeling uncomfortable.

“I think I should leave,” he said quietly.

Magnus straightened his back, obviously had not expected this. He preferred to leave rather than talk to Magnus. Than to be honest with him.

“Then, I won’t stop you,” Magnus simply said. Alec looked up to meet his eyes and felt his heart tighten as he saw how serious Magnus was. He might not have said it explicitly, but Alec knew that if he walked out that door right now, he might never see Magnus again and was he ready for that? God, this conversation was not going the way he had planned. But he couldn’t tell him everything right now, could he?

His phone buzzing in his pocket, interrupted him in his thoughts. He took it out and frowned as he read Izzy’s text.

“I have to go,” he quickly said. “My family needs me.”

“Of course,” Magnus said bitterly. “I guess you really should leave after all.”

He put his phone back in his back pocket and took a step towards the older man.

“Magnus, I swear I want to talk to you, I just…”

“No more excuses, Alec. You made things pretty clear already. Just leave.”

He didn’t wait for an answer and left the room, to go in the kitchen. Alec stood there for a few seconds, not knowing what had just happened -as most of the times when he was with Magnus- but, no matter how much he wanted to fix things with him, his family needed him right now. But he would come back and talk to Magnus. He was not going to let their relationship end this way, he cared too much about Magnus to let it happen.

*******

Alec passed through the double doors and immediately spotted Izzy pacing around the waiting room.

“Where is he?” he asked.

Isabelle turned around and hugged her brother.

“Alec” she sighed.

“Where is he?” he asked again. “Is he okay?”

His sister simply shook her head against his chest and Alec hugged her tightly. Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by someone Alec wished he could avoid for a few more years.

“Alexander” said his mother sternly. She looked just the same as Alec remembered. Her hair was up, she wore a dark green wrap dress, black high heels and her two hands were clenched in front of her. The most striking though were her eyes. You’d think she would seem sad or worried for her son who had been sent to the emergency room, but no. Her face was bare of any emotion, as usual, and that was something Alec still couldn’t understand. However, he did not have time to chit-chat with her, his brother was his priority right now.

“Where is Max?”

“He is being taken care of” she simply said.

Alec couldn’t help but roll his eyes. A normal mother would explain them what happened, if he was going to be okay, but no, Maryse Lightwood couldn’t just act like any other mother.

“What the hell did you do to him?” he asked.

Maryse scoffed.

“You think I’m the reason your brother is in this situation?”

“I’m sure you and Dad gave him plenty reasons to” he replied harshly.

His mother sent him a faint smile and slightly shook her head.

“I think you and you sister were the one responsible for this” she spat. “He wouldn’t have gotten these crazy ideas if you hadn’t teach him that harming himself was a solution.”

“How dare you …” Isabelle began but her mother cut her off with her hand.

“I do not have time for this. My son has been doing drugs, as if it were a way to draw attention. He almost died because of it and now, he needs me to take care of him” she explained and for once, Alec thought he saw genuine worry in his eyes. “You can see yourselves out.”

“Can we at least see him?” he pleaded.

“I think he’s better off without any of you” she answered. “You have bring nothing but shame and harm to this family, Alexander. I do not want you anywhere near Max, your father or me for that matter. You might have fooled Isabelle and Jace but I still pray to God they’ll realise choosing you was a mistake.”

She turned her heels and left them alone without any hesitation. Alec just stood there, mouth agape and tried to process what his mother had just told him. She had said similar words to him, many years ago, but he had hoped she’d changed her mind since then, but no. She still felt the same, even worse actually. Back then, she still had hope for her son but now, she almost looked resigned, as if he were dead to her. Isabelle saw how pale her brother looked and took his head between her hands.

“Alec, are you okay? Talk to me” she told him.

“I have to go” he whispered.

“What? No, Alec. I can’t leave you alone right now” she refused.

“I have to go” he repeated.

Alec could hear his sister calling him again and again, but he had to get out of there. He wanted to stay and comfort his sister, hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay, but how could he do this when he didn’t know nor even think it will get better. All that he had done, was it all worth it? His younger brother had put himself in danger, another one almost destroyed his life, his parents hated who he had become and no matter what his sister told him, he knew she wanted more. More than he could offer his family. How could he possibly know it was all worth it?

*******

Alec quietly opened the door and smiled weakly when he saw Clary sitting on a chair next to the bed. Next to Jace’s bed. The blond was sleeping while the red-haired girl was reading a book. She looked up when she heard the door open and sent a bright smile to the new comer.

“Alec! It’s good to see you” she told him.

He tried to send her a real smile, as he got closer to the bed.

“Hi Clary. How is he today?” he asked. He sat at the end of the bed, next to Jace’s feet, while Clary closed her book.

“Better. I was telling him a story about one of the kids at the center and he passed out. Not sure he was interested” she chuckled lightly.

Alec chuckled as well, shaking his head.

“I’m sure he liked it” he said. “But we both know he could fall asleep almost anywhere.”

“You’re right, it’s not because of my poor story-telling skills” she joked. Alec let out a real laugh this time and Clary bit her bottom-lip.

“Simon told me what happened with Max. I’m sorry” she said quietly.

“How did Simon hear about it?” Alec asked, playing his hands on his lap.

“Izzy called him, then he called me” she explained.

“We can’t keep any secrets from you.”

“Sorry” she winced.

Alec shook his head.

“It’s okay, you guys are family” he simply stated.

Clary sent her a sincere smile.

“You want to tell me what happened?” she asked softly.

Alec sighed deeply and swallowed dryly.

“When I was on my way, Izzy quickly explained he had been doing drugs for weeks, and no one saw it. Our parents barely see him so of course, they didn’t noticed until he was sent to the hospital because he had an overdose today.”

“Oh my God” Clary whispered.

“If only we paid more attention to him, we could have avoid all of this. He’s only sixteen, he should have gone through this” he continued.

“Alec, this isn’t your fault. Your parents are the ones who live with him. They are the one who should have noticed their son was in a bad state.”

“Maybe if I was more involved in his life, I could have avoid it” he mumbled.

Clary tilted her head to the side, and thought for a second. It always clear Alec wanted to be more involved in his little brother’s life, spend more time with him and help him, one way or another, and it was always clear how bad Maryse and Robert were at parenting so.

“Why don’t you fight for his custody?” she suggested.

Alec lifted up his head and looked at her, as if she had grown a third eye. He let out a sarcastic laugh and shook his head.

“Custody?” he repeated. “How could I compete with my parents? I couldn’t afford a lawyer good enough to fight them. Do I also need to remind you my mother is a judge?”

“I’m sure Asmodeus wouldn’t mind lending a hand” she simply shrugged.

“And how would I provide for Max? I’m a simple assistant.”

“Ask for a promotion” Clary countered.

“As what? Executive assistant? Like that’s much better” he scoffed.

“As a managing director” she propounded. “You have all the skills and knowledge required Alec, I know it.”

He let out another deep sigh, unable to counter this argument. It was true, he did have the required skills and knowledge of the company to endorse that position. To be honest, he even dreamt of it a few times, to have a higher position in the company, to show his full potential. However, his current situation was so uncertain that he couldn’t dared to hope for something more.

“I’m not even sure Asmodeus wants me to keep working for him after what my father did” he sighed. He knew he didn’t need to explain to her what had happened because he knew she already knew. “He asked me to take a few personal days.”

“Because he knows how complicated your family can be” she said.

“And he realised having a Lightwood working for him will be a constant issue” he sighed. He shook his head, feeling the entire weight of the latest events rush down on him. Everything went south at the same time: his relationship with his parents, which wasn’t great to begin with, turned worse; his younger brother was in the hospital; he wasn’t sure if he stil had a job; and the man of his life, whom he wanted to be with for so long didn’t want to see him anymore. How could he mess up his life so bad and so fast? Did he deserve all of this? To suffer and make everyone he loved suffer as well? Clary sensed his distress and stood up to hug him. She stroked his back and Alec let it all out against her shoulder. His tears, his frustration, this feeling of helplessness he felt… Everything that was eating him alive right now. He didn’t know how much he needed but it felt so good, to just let go. Clary understood it, so she let him have this moment, before taking a step back when she couldn’t hear his cries anymore.

“Thank you” he whispered.

“Anytime” she smiled. “Look, I know I don’t fully understand the situation you are in, but you need to let go, Alec. You’re a good person, who wants to do right by his family, so let them help you. You have the right to be selfish, you have the right to be happy too” she told him.

“She’s right” intervened a hoarse voice. They both turned their heads to look at Jace, who had just woken up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but she’s right” he joked. Clary shook her head, chuckling, while Alec wiped his tears.

“How are you feeling?” Alec asked.

“Better. What about you? You don’t look so good” his brother noticed. Alec sighed, not knowing what to tell him. He was in recovery, so Alec couldn’t lay it all on him and risk his well-being, it wasn’t fair.

He opened his mouth, ready to tell him a lie but Jace snickered.

“Look at you, ready to lie to protect me” he said. Alec’s eyes widen while Jace sighed. “I can read you like an open book, brother. Whatever you were going to say, to protect me, I assume, save it.”

“Jace…” Alec began but Jace couldn’t let it go. He loved his brother, deeply, that was why he couldn’t let him keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Not when he was hurting himself.

“Please Alec, for once, put yourself first” he told him. “You need to make yourself happy. I don’t care what anyone says, you’re the best brother I could have ever asked for. Izzy and Max will agree with me on that. You always make sure we’re safe, that we have everything we need, even if it means hurting yourself in the process” he added. “I mean, look at me. I have an addiction problem, you could’ve abandoned me like our parents but you stood by me, every step of the way to make sure I’d recover. Even after I’m done, you want me to come live with you until I land back on my feet” he reminded him. “You’re the best person I know, Alec, but you deserve to be happy and let yourself be happy.”

Alec didn’t know when he started crying but he couldn’t stop anymore. Clary had walked back, to give them some privacy, but she was silently crying too. He needed that. He didn’t know it, but he needed this talk. He had spent the last days hating himself and wondering if it was all worth it and Jace had managed, as always, to make him understand he deserved to be happy. Sure, Clary helped but she was nice with everyone, she had to say nice things to him. Jace, however, did not waste his time with useless talks. He’d just tell you what he thought and it didn’t matter if you liked it or not, that was just his opinion. That was what he was doing right now: telling his brother what he needed to hear because he couldn’t stand to see Alec torture himself because of others.

“You haven’t heard the things Mom told me” Alec cried.

“She said I’d end up alone, dead in some street, and look at me: I’m getting better because I have the right people surrounding me” Jace replied. “She doesn’t define you Alec, and sure as hell don’t need her approval.”

The older one got up and went to hug his younger brother. Jace quickly wrapped his arms around Alec and held him tightly. They have been through so much, individually and together, their bond was indescribable and so strong. That was why Jace knew exactly what Alec had needed to hear.

“Thank you” he whispered to his ear.

“Anytime, brother” Jace whispered back. He clapped his back before Alec leaned back.

“I need to get my shit together” Alec let out. Clary couldn’t hold back her laugh, while Jace chuckled, shaking his head.

“You mostly just need to understand your worth” he told him. “So, tell us everything and we’ll help you ‘get your shit together’” Jace teased. Clary got closer and sat back on her chair. Alec smiled at her, silently thanking her for being there fore both of them, and started talking. From the beginning and, by the end of their talk, he knew exactly what he had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything will get better starting next chapter, I promise.
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)


	4. "Some people want it all, but I don't want nothing at all, if it ain't you baby”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone ! I think we can all agree this was the fastest update haha
> 
> Thank you, so much, for sticking up with this fic and giving it so much love.
> 
> Finally, the chapter you were all waiting for, Alec says it all. I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> Title from the queen Alicia Keys and her magnificent song “If I Ain't Got You", which inspired me for the last scene of this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Isabelle got out of her office, Simon following her, and turned around to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you for coming all the way here and bring me breakfast but I really need to work now” she told him, a large smile on her face.

Simon had come early that morning, to share breakfast with her. The young woman had come in early, expecting Alec to come as well, so they could talk about what happened the day before, but she hadn’t heard from him. So she decided to train alone, to blow off some steam and let go of her anger in a helpful way. Just when her staff started to arrive, before the opening, Simon came in as well, holding a bag full of food and two cups of coffee. Isabelle told her employees what to do, and how to deal with their customers and she led Simon to her office. They had talked about Jace, Max, Alec and it felt good to be able to talk to someone about her problems. Someone who quietly listened and didn’t judge any of them. Also someone who managed to make her laugh by saying the most random things from time to time. She truly didn’t know what she did to deserve someone like Simon, but she definitely felt grateful.

“Alright, I also have to work or Luke will kill me” Simon joked.

“He loves you too much to do that” Isabelle replied. “Plus, if you tell him you were with me, I’m sure you’ll be forgiven” she added as she played with the collar of his shirt. Simon sent her a small smile before leaning in to peck her lips.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Promise. Have a nice day.”

“You too.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. He walked up to the front door, while Isabelle joined Underhill at the main desk, keeping an eye on her boyfriend, and her brows went up when she saw someone she had seen before coming in.

Magnus looked a bit lost, looking at his surroundings, not completely sure what to do or who to talk to. Last time she checked, Magnus didn’t know her, she wasn't even sure he knew she existed, so this could be her chance to know how things were between him and her brother. Also, as she watched him more carefully, she noticed how tired he looked. He was wearing black tight gym pants, a black tank top and his hair was falling on his face. However, she did manage to see how sad and tired he looked.

“I got this one” she told Underhill. She joined Magnus, who looked relieved that someone sensed his distress. “Hello there, can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m looking for anything, really, I just really want to punch some things” he admitted.

“Well” Izzy chuckled. “You’ve come to the right place. Do you want to follow a special training, or do you want to pay for an hour with a punching bag?”

Magnus frowned a bit and let out a small laugh.

“That sounded oddly wrong, but I might as well sign up for a training, right?” he asked.

“Tell you what, you and I can have a one hour-class, see if you like it, then I’ll sign you up for more lessons” she explained him.

“That sounds like a perfect plan, darling. Just to be sure, you do work here, right?”

“I actually own the place” she whispered, before laughing.

“Impressive” he answered. “And forgive me, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Magnus” he added.

“Isabelle” she introduced herself.

“Well, Isabelle, if I may, you remind a lot of someone” he admitted as he followed her to the main desk.

She asked Underhill to hand her a sign-up paper before turning to Magnus again.

“I don’t get that a lot. May I ask who?”

“My boyfriend?” he said, but it sounded more like a question. That told Isabelle a lot about her brother’s love situation.

“It sounds like you’re asking me if you’re in a relationship” she joked.

“You’re right, my apologies” he smiled weakly.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m guessing he’s the reason you want to punch some things?” she asked and nodded when he agreed. “Well, the good things about boxing classes is that they help get everything, that’s eating you, out. You’re probably going to scream a lot, as you’ll let your frustration come out and you might even tell me all your secrets, but it’ll stay between the two of us. Everyone is here for a reason” she reassured him. “Whether it is to train for an upcoming situation, to learn how to defend themselves or just to let all their anger out. So never feel ashamed when you walk through these doors, okay?”

She didn’t know how all of this came to her, but it was clear the situation between Alec and Magnus was even more complicated than it was when her brother came to talk to her. She might not have been able to help Alec, but if she could make Magnus feel better, she wasn’t going to let her chance pass. Moreover, he seemed like he needed a pep-talk as well. He hadn’t come to this place out of spite, but because he clearly needed to. So if she could help him, she was going to.

“Thank you, Isabelle. That’s really nice of you to say” he said honestly. “I should probably bring my maybe-future-ex-boyfriend here, he might start spilling his secrets” he joked.

“Bring him next time, I’ll make sure he talks” she told him. Magnus let out a real laugh and Isabelle instructed him to follow her, so they could start.

*******

“Lunch-break!” Isabelle told Underhill, on her way to the front door.

“Oh, can you bring me the chicken sandwich, please?” he asked her. They always ate at the same place during their breaks. They all had a different time to go eat, so there could always be someone at the club. This time, Izzy got her time-off before Underhill but his request surprised her.

“Are you not going out after me?”

“Nah, I’ll just eat in the break-room” he quickly said.

“Why?” she asked.

“You should go, your brother has been waiting for you” he told her. She quickly turned her head and saw Alec waiting outside. She let out a sigh and turned to Underhill again.

“One chicken sandwich, noted.”

He sent her a thumb up, as a thank you, and watched her go out. Isabelle put her hands in the pockets of her jacket as she stopped next to Alec, who was sending a text. He looked up and sent her a large smile.

“Hey, Izzy.”

“Don’t ‘hey, Izzy’ me” she told him. “I called you multiple times last night and you didn’t answer” she added before slapping him on the arm. “What the hell, Alec?”

“Ow! Ok, first of all, relax” he instructed her. “Second, can we go order food before you start yelling at me?”

She let out a deep sigh, but nodded nonetheless. They started walking on the sidewalk and neither knew what to tell the other. Isabelle wanted to ask him about what happened the day before, why she hadn’t heard from him and why he was showing up unannounced like that, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Alec needed to take his time to tell her what he wanted her to know, so she couldn’t push him. They got to the food-shop and Alec stopped Izzy when she wanted to take her wallet out.

“I’m buying” he smiled at her.

“Fine, but you’re also buying for Underhill then” she told him.

“Sure” he chuckled. They both ordered their food and waited in silence for it to be ready. It was odd, to not be able to tell Izzy everything he wanted to. He knew she’d listen to him and give him advice if he needed some, but he didn’t know what to begin with. He had gone through a massive breakdown the day before, he even showed his sister how affected he was by the situation yet, he had done nothing to reassure her and that was why he felt bad. They recovered their food and thanked the seller, before walking to a bench nearby. Izzy sat and started eating, while Alec was still trying to figure out a way to start the conversation.

“I met your boyfriend today” Izzy said.

Okay, that totally caught Alec off-guard.

“You did what now?” he asked as he sat down next to her.

“He came by this morning. He wanted to ‘punch some things’ because of his maybe-future-ex-boyfriend” she explained.

“What…”

“Why didn’t you tell me you guys had a fight?”

Alec shook his head and sighed deeply.

“How do you even know about that?”

“You should know better than anyone how easily all the things that go wrong in your life can come out when you’re punching something” she replied.  
“What did he tell you?” he asked softly.

“That you pushed him away and kept him in the dark when all he wanted was to know you better. Sounds oddly accurate to me” she answered. “Why didn’t you tell me about it, Alec?”

“It all happened so fast” he sighed. “I went to his place, we talked and things escalated way too quickly, then you told me about Max and I left without finishing our talk and now, I… I have to make things right, but I’m not sure if telling him the truth is going to help my case or make it worse” he admitted.

Isabelle pressed her lips into a thin line, taking the time to think about her brother’s words. She knew he needed to make sure of the outcome before he could start talking about him and his life. She also knew how deeply he cared about Magnus, he might even love him but how could you start a proper relationship if you didn’t show them how much you trust them.

“Alec” she began tenderly. “From what I understood, I know he deeply cares about you. You’re important to him, otherwise he wouldn’t have come today. His whole world turned upside down at that meeting because of our father, so having you lying and act the way you did, when all he wanted was for you to trust him, the way he trusted you, that must have hurt him. So I know, it won’t be easy but think about how good you’ll feel when you tell him.”

Alec nodded slightly, understanding what his sister was telling him.

“I spent so much time keeping everything inside, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop once I start telling him” he admitted.

“Don’t stop until you feel like you’re free” she instructed him.

“Yes, ma’am” he joked and earned a punch on the shoulder.

“Stop talking to me as if I were your commander” she laughed. Alec nodded and smiled at his sister.

“Thank you, Izzy, for always having my back” he told her. She sent him a soft smile and shook her head.

“You kept supporting me when I needed it the most, of course I’m always going to be there for you, big brother.”

Alec took the back of her head in his hand and kissed her forehead. It always amazed him to see his siblings so strong and so happy. They still had their demons to fight sometimes but they had accomplished so much in the last few years, Alec felt so proud to see them evolve and be these amazing human beings.

“Now, finish eating and go get your man! For real this time” she warned him.

*******

  
Alec sighed and shook his hands before he knocked on Magnus’ door. Alec had been stressed many times in his life, too many to count actually, but standing there in front of Magnus’ door, waiting for him to open it, to either hear him out or slam the door to his face, was in his top five of most stressful moments. The first being the few moments before his coming-out to his parents. He didn’t know what to expect then, even though he knew how his parents were, and he didn’t know know what to expect from Magnus at this moment. Fortunately -or not-, the door opened before he couldn’t think any further and he stopped breathing when he took a look at Magnus. He was beautiful. He wore deep red skinny jeans, that were way too skinny, a white blouse and black boots. His make-up was mainly made of a thick line of kohl around his eyes, his hair was spiked up with deep red streaks in it and he didn’t wear any jewellery yet. Which made Alec realised he had interrupted him.

“Alec. What are you doing here?”

This cold and detached tone. Alec hated it. He only kept it to his father when he was annoying him, or the people he didn’t want to lose his time with, but never with him.

“I know you probably don’t want to have anything to do with me anymore, but I need you to hear me out.”

“Why? You have more excuses to give me?” he replied.

“No, I’m here to tell you the truth. The whole truth” he exhaled. “Will you let me?” he pleaded.

He could see how conflicted Magnus was. His eyes showed it all, but this conflict he was feeling was Alec’s only hope at that moment, so he hoped he could still have his chance.

“Come in” he simply answered. Alec sent him a weak smile and entered the loft. His nervousness grew with each step he took, how was he going to start? What should he tell Magnus first? Suddenly, he wasn't sure this was such a good idea after all.

“Alec?”

He turned around to see Magnus seated on the couch. He was looking at him, expecting him to start talking apparently.

“Sorry, lost in my thoughts” he said.

“Start whenever you’re ready” Magnus simply told him.

“I’m warning you, this isn’t a pretty story.”

“I’ve had my fair share of sad and ugly stories” he replied. “I’m up for it.”

“Okay then, where do I start?” Alec sighed as he sat on the coffee table, facing Magnus.

“How about why your father and you have such a rocky relationship?” Magnus suggested.

“Rocky? That’s an understatement” Alec laughed dryly. He sighed again, trying to gather his thoughts and looked up at the ceiling before starting his story.

“I never was this golden boy my parents wanted me to be” he stated. “I was the first born, so they had these big plans for me, what job they wanted me to have, who they wanted me to marry, what type of man they wanted me to be. Unfortunately, they quickly realized I didn’t fit into this mould they had created, so all their expectations fell back onto Jace. My parents adopted him after his parents died. They were close to my parents, so they asked them to take care of him if anything were to happen to them” he explained. “So they took him in, but, when him and Izzy reached high school, things got out of hands. Izzy had these anger issues and my parents didn’t help her get better. If anything, they made it worse. Jace started partying and became addicted to alcohol. He was barely ever sober…” he sighed and took his head between his hands.

“Things got worse when I went to college because I couldn’t take care of them as much as I used to. That was also the time I figured out I was gay, but too afraid to come out because of my parents so I kept it for me. I eventually realized my siblings were hurting themselves, I wasn’t living the way I wanted, my parents were putting us down and I lost it. After I got my degree in business, I came out to my entire family during yet another fight and I never saw my parents look so disappointed” he added looking at his hands. “They insulted me and kicked me out, immediately. I had some savings so I rent a small apartment and applied to every possible job and that's when your father hired me.”

He dared to look up at Magnus and his face was completely shut off. However, he could see in his eyes how saddened he felt about his family’s background.

“Isabelle and I often met up” he resumed. "To update each other about our lives and when she told our father about my job, he flipped out. After a few months with your father, I managed to lend back on my feet and I tried to find a way to help Jace and Izzy. That’s when we met Clary and Simon.”

Talking about these two brought a smile on his face that he couldn’t control.

“Those two are true angels. They brought so much light and comfort to my siblings and my sanity, I don’t know if I would have been able to make it without them” he chuckled. He saw a small smile on Magnus’ face and guessed he wasn’t as completely shut off as he thought.

“Eventually, Isabelle managed to find a balance and she’s pretty smart, and with my help, she built up her boxing club.”

That seemed to get Magnus’ attention.

“Wait a minute” he interrupted Alec. “Is she...”

“The one you met this morning yes” he nodded. “I think she really liked you” he chuckled lightly. “Anyway, I’d never seen my sister so happy, so I knew she was on her way to get better, and Simon was there fore her. Jace, on the other hand, it was much more complicated. My parents had been terrible towards him, pulling on his every string. But Clary found the small willing part in him and we helped him go to rehab and he’s been recovering ever since” he smiled slightly.

“In all of this, we also have a younger brother, Max” he added. “He was not involved in most of the drama, he was too young for that. But, as he grew up, he started to understand things better, and when all three of us stopped seeing him all of a sudden, he knew the situation wasn’t right. So we tried to keep an eye on him, the best we could, and I thought we were doing a good job. Then yesterday, I learned he was doing drugs” he stated. “I saw him a few days ago Magnus and he seemed completely fine. I didn’t notice he was suffering so much from this situation” he exhaled as he tried to hold his tears.

Magnus leaned forward to place a hand on Alec’ knee. This small gesture made Alec feel a lot better, talking about these things hurt but he knew he had Magnus’ support now, so he could continue.

“When I came by your place, to talk to you” Magnus started. “You said your siblings were there, yet…”

Alec nodded as he understood his confusion.

“They were all there. Jace had the autorisation to go out for a day, so he spent the day with Izzy and Max then when I left work, I spent the night with them” he explained.

“Your parents let Max spend the day with you?” Magnus asked, genuinely shocked.

“No” Alec snickered. “They didn’t know. He told them he was spending the day with his friends and, again, they’re barely home so they didn’t take the time to check if it was true or not. That’s how we’ve been able to see Max every now and then, by lying to our parents.”

Magnus bit his bottom lip. This situation was so complicated, for all of them. Clearly, the love they shared for each other was their way to cope with all of this. He felt Alec tense up suddenly and he knew this next part was going to be difficult for Alec.

“I hadn’t seen my father in years” he started again. “But I know he knew I was doing everything I could to help my siblings and he must have hated that we all got back on our feet, despite not receiving any help from them. And because Asmodeus had his hand in my own recovery. So, the meeting Wednesday was his payback, towards me and your father. Asmodeus was much more of a father to me than my own dad ever was and he must hate that.

“When I met your father, he thought it was a joke, or a stupid plan put up by my dad. He couldn’t imagine that a Lightwood, especially their first born, would want to work for him. I told him everything, about my parents kicking me out, about my siblings who needed me and about how determined I was to get this job. I’d been trained to become the next CEO of Lightwood Entreprises, so I knew everything an assistant needed to know. I thought he was going to dismiss me, but he hired me and told me he’d show me how a real father should treat his son.”

Magnus snickered at that and Alec couldn’t blame him.

“Now that I think about it, I guess he was trying to make amends for what he did to you by taking care of me” Alec suggested. “Maybe he thought that if he took care of a young man in distress, it would compensate for all the terrible things he did to you. He helped me get back on my feet, he taught me all I needed to know to do a better job, he gave me advice in my daily life, he listened to me complain about my siblings, he helped me take care of them, he…”

He took a minute to catch his breath and looked up at Magnus. The older man’s gaze was focused on his feet and Alec knew he was processing everything he’d just said. Magnus and Asmodeus’ relationship had always been complicated. It had gotten worse in the last couple of days and Alec understood how hard it must be for Magnus to imagine his dad be nice and protective of someone. Especially when he had not been this way with him. So he knew he had to be careful with his next words.

“As much as I would like to support you in this situation, I could never hate your dad. He helped me. Saved me, even, when I needed it the most” he stated. “Of course, I’ll comfort you and listen to you talk about all the terrible things he did to you, but I’ll also back him up if I have to. I know hiding the truth about your mother’s death was a terrible thing to do, but I guess, in the long run, he thought it’d be easier for you to forgive him for being terrible to you than for being the reason your mom died” he suggested. “And you were starting to, with this deal proposal, you were ready to put all of your strong dislike for him aside.”

He had been really careful to not use the word “hatred” because he didn’t believe Magnus actually hated his dad. Their relationship was complicated, “rocky” to quote him, but there was still hope because the two of them still tried to make amends with the other, and Alec wanted to help them reconcile. Magnus sniffed and wiped up the tears that had fallen on his cheeks before looking up.

“How did you manage to talk about your life story and turn it into a defence argument for my father?” he tried to joke. Alec laughed quietly and shrugged lightly.

“Your father is a big part of my recovery story, so the transition was pretty easy” he smiled. Magnus put both his hands on Alec’s cheeks and stroked them. His eyes had become softer, all the tension had left his shoulders and that was when Alec knew he was forgiven.

“You’ve been through so much. Suffered so much” Magnus exhaled. “You deserve all the love and protection of this world. You’re such a gentle soul, Alexander. Anyone who has you in their life should feel lucky. I’m sorry your parents couldn’t see it, but I promise to show you all the good things in life, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Alec could feel the tears gather in his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. He couldn’t believe how light and happy he felt right now. Was that how one was supposed to feel when they had finally told their story and shared it with the one they wanted to spend their life with? Of course, their relationship was only a few days old and it had been a complicated few days, but Alec knew he wanted to be with Magnus the day he understood he was so much more than what he showed the world. He was this amazing human being, who wanted nothing more than to be loved and Alec knew he had so much love to give him.

“Thank you for trusting me with all of this” Magnus added.

“If I’d known how good it felt to let it all out, I would have done it sooner” Alec joked, making Magnus chuckle a little.

“Talking things out usually make you feel better” he admitted.

“Do you want to talk about your family issues?” Alec tried.

Magnus sighed and leaned back on the couch as Alec took his hands between hi.

“I don’t know how I feel, to be honest” he admitted. “I’ve despised my father for so long, to know he's the one who made my mother take her own life, I... I don’t know what to do with this information.”

Alec got up to sit next to him and Magnus curled up against his side, as Alec stroke his back. He knew all about being conflicted, especially towards your own family members, but he knew there was still hope for Magnus and his dad. There was a long way ahead of them, but they could make it work.

“I know it won’t be easy, and no one is asking you to forgive your father right now. You have the right to take as much time as you need, you might even never forgive him, who knows. You just need to do what’s right for you. If that means at least talk to your father and tone it down on the fights, then so be it. Just do what your heart tells you to” he told him.

Magnus curled up even closer to him and sighed. It felt so nice to be this close to someone who understood him. He’d wanted Alec to be completely honest with him and it was nice to have this complete transparency with his partner. Though, there was one detail that he was curious about.

“What made you tell me about you?” he quietly asked.

“Jace and Izzy” he answered. “Izzy can be really convincing she puts her mind to it. Plus, having met you beforehand, she made it pretty clear at lunch that I needed to go get back this amazing guy who was waiting for me” he smiled. “And I went to see Jace yesterday. I explained the whole situation to him, also what was going on with Max, and he told me to get you first, because you’re apparently too good for me and I should hold on to you. And second, that I should fight for Max’s custody.”

“Do you want to do that?” Magnus asked him after he detached himself from him to look at him.

Alec shrugged.

“I don’t know” he admitted. “Do I have what it takes to take care of him? To face my parents?”

Magnus could see he truly wondered if he had what it took to do it. He couldn’t blame him, his parents looked quite scary so, obviously, it was not going to be an easy fight but he could do it.

“You’ll make it work, Alexander. I’m sure of it.”

“Do you really think I can stand up to them?”

“Of course! You’ll have the help of your siblings, Clary, Simon and even my father, so trust me, you can do it” he answered. “Besides, you have this amazing boyfriend now…” he smiled.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Alec smiled back.

“Why, of course darling, it’s all or nothing, and since you’ve decided to tell all about you, I’m guessing you went for all” Magnus replied.

“Yeah, yeah I did.”

There was so much tenderness in his eyes, Magnus had to look down because he couldn’t face it. He now knew Alec took care of his own, and Magnus liked the idea that maybe, he was one of the most important people for Alec.

“There, now you know all about my weaknesses” Alec joked.

Magnus chuckled.

“I wouldn’t call them weaknesses. They’re just… your weak spots” Magnus suggested.

“Right, that’s a better way of saying ‘weaknesses’” he laughed. Magnus laughed as well, admitting that wasn’t his best line but calmed down when he met Alec’s gaze.

“You’re one of them too, you know.”

It meant a lot, for Alec to say it, and Magnus understood it. Though it felt really nice to have him confirm it.

“Is that so? You sure know how to flatter a man, Alexander” he teased him.

“Stop it” Alec warned him.

“Make me” Magnus challenged him. They hadn’t kissed since Magnus came by Alec’s place on Monday and they both craved it. The intimacy, the closeness, the trust. They had reached a new step in their relationship after this talk, the only thing they needed to do now, was make sure that their relationship still existed. Alec put his hand on Magnus cheek and stroke it lightly, as if he were making sure this situation was real. Magnus closed his eyes, to enjoy this soft touch, and waited, for Alec to make the final step. He felt his breath on his lips, and it was soon replaced by Alec’s lips. They were as soft as he remembered, but this kiss had something else to it. Like a promise that things were going to get better. That their relationship was stronger and that it was going to last for so long. He put his hand in Alec’s hair, to make this kiss last. He needed it to last, he needed it to make it all real for him. All of this. Alec’s words, Alec’s presence, their relationship. Alec deepened the kiss, feeling the same urge and felt like all of his wishes had been granted. He never thought he could feel so happy with another man, yet alone the man of his dreams, but it was happening. He was making their relationship even more real and his heart was almost bursting with joy.

They finally pulled away and breathed heavily for a few seconds. This kiss had meant everything for them and they both knew it represented their new beginning.

“Magnus” Alec said.

“Yes?” Magnus breathed out, his eyes still closed.

“While I’m on a honesty path, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. I’m falling in love with you. The real you” he confessed.

 


	5. ’Cause I’m made for you, and you for me, maybe now it’s time for us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone !
> 
> First thing you need to know, this is the last full chapter of this fic. I want to thank you, very much, for reading it and sticking with me through it all.   
> Secondly, before you read this, you should read the end of the previous chapter as I changed it. I felt content when I first posted it and a few days later, it kept me up at night because I felt like I had messed up the entire thing and was hating myself for it, so I fixed it and changed it in a way that pleases me better. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it.   
> Once again, thank you for reading, I hope you'll like this last chapter.
> 
> Title from ‘Catching Feelings’ by Justin Bieber.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Magnus’ eyes shined with tears, gathering up, and Alec felt his heart tighten at the sight.

“You don’t feel the same, right?” Alec guessed.

“Not exactly, I… I meant it when I said you were a gentle soul who deserves all the love and protection in this world, and I like you, Alexander, I do, I just…”

“It’s okay, Magnus” Alec kindly cut him off. “I had the time to discover you, and get to know you on my own, while you didn’t know anything about me until a few days ago, so I understand if you don’t feel the same way I do, yet. You need to get to know me first” he told him.

“So you’re not mad?”

Alec chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“No, I’m not. I understand you and I are not on the same page, but I’ll work hard so we can be. Very soon” he explained and Magnus nodded. Alec grabbed Magnus by his arms and brought him to his chest and lied them both down. Alec laid on his back, Magnus laying on his stomach, between Alec’s legs. Magnus put his head on Alec’s chest and listened to his heartbeat, which somehow managed to relax him. It was constant, strong and calming. They stayed like this for some time, trying to enjoy the silence and their moment of peace together, but Magnus couldn’t keep his mind from wandering and thinking about all the things he stil needed to tell Alec. Eventually, the younger man started talking again.

“Weren’t you on your way out when I came by?” Alec asked.

“I was” he confirmed. “I was going to Pandemonium, to get back to work and take my mind off of things” he then explained. Alec’s brows shot up, feeling uneasy as he clearly disrupted Magnus’ work schedule.

“Do you want to go now ?” he suggested as he tried to get up from under Magnus but the latter shook his head.

“Raphael can handle it.”

“You’re sure?” Alec still insisted. Magnus simply nodded and Alec took his word for it. He couldn’t force Magnus to go to work if he didn’t want to. Also, deep down, Alec wanted to stay with him like this and enjoy their moment of peace together. Though, when he felt Magnus take a deep breath and start to move, he knew their moment of peace was over. Magnus sat on the other side of the couch, back against the armrest and Alec sat up as well, ready to listen to whatever Magnus was about to say to him. He knew their previous talk had calmed them down, but there were still some things that had been left unsaid and they needed to talk about them if they wanted to move forward.

“Alexander… I do need to apologize for the horrible things I said to you yesterday. You didn’t deserve any of it” Magnus began, making Alec smile weakly.

“Apologies accepted” he told him. “You didn’t know what situation I was confronting, so I can’t blame you. Plus, our situation has been complicated from the start since I was this kind of stranger-not-stranger who had to know so many things about you for your father and, it seemed fun at the beginning but it came back to bite me in the ass” he added, shaking his head. “I used them for a personal matter and I shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t say that” Magnus replied. “You couldn’t pretend you didn’t know anything about me. I understand why you did what you did. I still haven’t process what happened with my mother but I don’t blame you for that” he exhaled. He had taken him quite some time to wrap his head around it but he finally came to terms with it. He needed Alec to know he didn’t blame him, so he could take this burden off his chest. “You were just at the wrong place at the wrong moment and you had to carry this terrible secret with you. My father is the one to blame.”

Alec bit his bottom lip and nodded.

“You have every right to blame him.”

Magnus sent him a small smile, not used to have Alec support him instead of his father. True, Alec always tried to find a common ground for both Banes when they couldn’t agree on an issue, which was one of the reasons Magnus liked him so much to begin with.

“Actually, I should thank you.” Alec frowned at that.

“Why?”

“You’re doing your best to support me, even though you owe my father so much” Magnus said and Alec sent him a small smile.

“I owe him everything, but I don’t blindly follow him. If he’s wrong, I won’t hesitate to tell him. That how our dynamic works” Alex explained. Asmodeus didn’t need someone who would just follow him around and bend to his every will. Alec had his ideas, his convictions and knew his boss needed to be reminded, from time to time, that he couldn’t expect the world to do what he wanted and that he needed to make concessions. It had worked pretty well during all their years together, but now, Alec didn’t even know if Asmodeus was stil his boss, or if he’ll even have the chance to work for him anymore. He looked up at Magnus and frowned when he saw him looking at Chairman, who was sleeping on one of the armchairs, deep in his thoughts. He tilted his head to the side and poked at his knee.

“Is there something else you want to tell me?” Alec asked softly.

“Do you really have feelings for me?” Magnus let out so quietly, Alec almost didn’t hear him.

“Yes, Magnus, I really have feelings for you. Why? Don’t you like me?”

“I do, but, how can you still feel the same way about me? I was terrible to you, Alexander” he insisted. This time, Alec clearly understood Magnus still felt guilty about their talk the day before. The words that came out of his mouth had been harsh and made Alec lose all hope of winning Magnus back afterwards, but could he really blame him? Alec was the first person who hated having the people he cared about lying to him and hiding things. What Alec had hidden from Magnus was something else, from a whole new level, so of course he was going to be harsh towards him, he couldn’t blame him for that. But apparently, Magnus didn’t think the same and was beating himself up for it.

“You were yesterday,” Alec agreed, “but you had your reasons. We all have our own reasons to do things, and I think we should try judge people on their intentions. You wanted to hurt me, the same way you’ve been hurt by your father and by me. I think a part of you wanted to hurt me badly, but when I came to see you this afternoon, you easily could have thrown me out or refuse to listen to me, yet you let me in” he reminded him. “You gave me another chance to explain myself even though I hurt you beforehand. I’ve been so used to having people rejecting me after simple mistakes that I didn’t think you’d give me another chance, but you did, because you didn’t want to give up on me. You also have a gentle soul Magnus and you deserve to be treated well and be happy” he concluded, smiling.

Magnus’s eyes were teary, but his shy smile proved Alec they were tears of joy. He knew Magnus was beautiful, anyone with eyes knew it, but seeing him so exposed, without any barrier made Alec’s heart beat a bit faster. His put his hand on his cheek and Magnus leaned onto the touch.

“How are you so understanding?” he asked as he sighed.

“It’s a natural gift” Alec joked and smiled brightly when Magnus let out a true laugh, which made him even more beautiful. God, he was already so smitten.

“Is that so?” Magnus teased. “Well, I need you to know I like you and deeply care about you, but I do need time, to know all about the small things that make you Alexander Lightwood” he smiled tenderly. His smile grew bigger when he saw a small blush grow on Alec’s cheeks. He knew he had a soft spot for Alec but it just kept on getting bigger every day and Magnus couldn’t wait to see where it was going to lead them.

“By the way, why do you insist on calling me Alexander? I never understood.”

Magnus sent an amused smile at his boyfriend and took his hands between his.

“Because it suits you. Strong, protector... and with your backstory, you can’t tell me otherwise” he explained.

Alec hummed and thought for a second before nodding.

“Fair enough. Up for diner?” he asked.

Magnus took a look at the clock, hanging on one of the walls.

“It’s still early” he answered. He then stroke the back of Alec’s hands with his thumbs. “How about we get to know each other better? Ask each other questions, so we can know more about the other. But, nothing sad or dark, just random facts” he suggested. Alec sent him a big smile.

“I’d like that” he said. “This way, you get to know all the small things about me as well” he teased him and Magnus let out a small chuckle.

“Alright, sir, first question: what’s your favorite color?”

Alec sent him a ‘really?’ kind of look and Magnus swatted his thigh.

“Don’t give me that look. We said small things, right?”

Alec laughed lightly and agreed.

“Black.”

“Seriously?!” Magnus exclaimed. “You know that’s not an actual color, it’s…”

“My turn” Alec interrupted him and Magnus swatted his thigh again, looking offended. “What’s yours?” This time, Magnus looked genuinely surprised and frowned a bit.

“You don’t know it?” Alec simply shrugged and shook his head. Magnus’ eyes widened a bit, as he was taken aback by this confession. He thought Alec all about him but apparently he… didn’t? “How…?”

“Magnus. I may have learned a lot of things about you, but you and I never had a proper conversation about, well, us. I don’t know the small details that any boyfriend or girlfriend should know, because I was barely your friend a couple of weeks ago” Alec explained.

That was true. They never shared more words than necessary, so there was no way for Alec to know these little things. These little things that made Magnus who he was, because he had no way of knowing them.

“Well,” Magnus began with a small smile on his face, “It’s a good thing I’m your boyfriend now, you’ll get to know all there is to know about me” he said as he got closer to Alec. The younger one smiled at that and also got closer to him.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah” Magnus confirmed before kissing him thoroughly. They might just be at the beginning of their relationship, and neither knew how it was going to turn out, if it’d even work, but they knew they both wanted to be with each other and make it last as long as possible. Magnus took Alec’d head in his hands and moved so he could straddle his hips. Alec leaned back, giving Magnus full control of the situation and put his hands of his hips. He liked this, being in his own bubble of joy and peace with Magnus. Was this what it looked like to be at peace with oneself and happy with a loved-one? With someone one wanted to spend as much time as possible with? All these feelings inside him were new, as he never shared a true relationship, or even the beginning of one, with anyone, and he loved it so much, he knew he could never let go of it.

Magnus leaned back but brought their foreheads together and held tightly on Alec’s face.

“I promise to make you as happy as I can, Alexander” he whispered before Alec hold tighter on his waist.

“I promise to do the same and protect you, always” Alec whispered back. Magnus let out a small laugh and rubbed his nose to Alec’s one.

“Are we competing to figure out who will be the better boyfriend?” Magnus teased.

“Well, we both know I’ll be the best” Alec answered, shrugging lightly. Magnus leaned back completely, looking offended and swatted at Alec’s chest.

“Alright, Mr. Lightwood, how about we resume our questions then, so I will actually have a shot at getting to know you?” Magnus suggested.

“Fine by me, but you’re staying here” Alec answered as he held him in place. Magnus sent him an large grin and nodded.

“Fine by me” he repeated.

*******

“Wake up, angel” whispered a smooth voice next to Alec’s head. He turned his head and slowly opened his eyes. He immediately saw Magnus sitting on the coffee table, smiling down at him. The living room was fully lit by the sun outside, and Magnus was all dressed-up, ready to go and Alec felt like he was looking at an angel. They had spend the rest of the evening asking each other fun questions, discovering interesting facts about one another and they both agreed this had helped them get on the same page about what their relationship was going to be. After they ate, they settled to watch a movie but Alec had fallen fast asleep. He didn’t remember Magnus leaving him, nor… covering him with the blanket he had on. He looked around and sat up, Magnus still watching him.

“Was my couch comfortable enough?” Magnus asked.

“Yeah, slept like a baby” Alec answered, with a hoarse voice. He noticed how Magnus had closed his eyes when he answered, but didn’t pay much more attention to it as he was getting more awake by the minute. “I can’t believe you’re already ready. I thought you were a heavy sleeper. Don’t you usually never wake up before noon?” he teased.

“Hey, need I remind you I’m a business man? I can’t always sleep to my content. Besides, I knew there was a gorgeous man sleeping on my couch. I had to get up before him so I could give him the best view of New-York when he wakes up.”

“Well, you definitely managed to pull that off” Alec whispered.

“Flattery will get you anywhere, angel” Magnus smiled at him, before leaning to kiss his cheek. “I got your coffee ready, by the way” he added as he pointed the cup next to him. “Black, with no sugar.”

“You remembered” Alec smiled as he leaned to grab the cup.

“It’s not that hard to remember” he joked. Alec chuckled and nodded before drinking a long gulp. That felt good and managed to wake his brain up.

“So tell me, what are our plans for today?” Magnus wondered.

“I need to go home, change, call my siblings, come up with a way to deal with everything and…” Alec quickly said and Magnus grabbed his free hand between his to make him stop talking.

“Alexander. Everything will be fine” he tried to reassure him. “First, we’re gonna get you home, after you’re all cleaned up, we’ll call you siblings and then, we’ll find a way for you to stand up to your parents, okay? One step at a time.”

“You’re right. Yes. Thank you” Alec said before he deeply exhaled.

“You’re very welcome, angel” Magnus smiled softly. “Now, finish you coffee so I can drive you home.”

*******

Alec opened the front door to his apartment and let Magnus enter before closing it behind them.

“I’m just gonna check on Church and…”

“Already taken care of” someone said. The two men turned their heads and saw Simon coming out of the kitchen, eating a banana, Isabelle behind him.

“What are you guys doing here?” Alec asked. He had given his sister a key to his place, just in case he might have a problem, or he needed her to feed Church if he was going away, but he couldn’t find a good reason for her, and Simon, to be here right now.

“We’re here to help” Izzy said without hesitation. “Jace is getting out tomorrow, Max is getting better, we need to make sure they’ll land into a safe space and for that, we need to come up with a plan.”

Magnus smiled, approving this idea, while Alec shook his head.

“Don’t you have to work or something?” Alec insisted.

“Underhill can handle it” Isabelle shrugged.

“I mostly came to see if Church was still okay” Simon intervened as he raised up his hand. Magnus snorted at that, and Alec rolled in eyes, but Magnus could see he was mostly amused.

“You do realize I always leave enough food for him?”

“We never know” Simon defended himself, before biting his banana again.

“Alright, give me twenty minutes and I’ll be ready.”

He quickly kissed Magnus’ cheek and walked to his bedroom. Magnus crossed his arms and smiled at Isabelle.

“Isabelle, lovely to see you again.”

“The feeling is mutual” she smiled back.

“And you must be Simon” he stated, turning to the man who had his mouth full. He rapidly chewed and swallowed before sending him a smile.

“That’s me. So, are you and Alec a thing now?” he bluntly asked.

“Real smooth, babe” Isabelle teased. Simon looked at her and shrugged, before turning back to Magnus.

“It’s all very new, but yes, Alec and I are a… thing now” he chuckled.

“I’m glad. He deserves to be happy” Simon said.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

*******

“Okay, so, how do we make our parents stand down?” Alec asked as he sat on the chair next to Magnus. They had moved to the kitchen, Isabelle and Simon on one side, Alec and Magnus on the other, facing them. The young man still had his hair slightly wet from his shower, he wore a dark green sweater -which had way too much effect of Magnus- and black jeans. It was simple and not enough colourful for Magnus’ taste but it fit Alec perfectly.

“If there’s one thing your parents hate, it’s a scandal” Simon began. “I noticed they made sure no one talked about what happened to Max, they made sure Jace’s situation was kept secret and they knew you cared too much about your family to go public about how they treated you since your coming-out.”

Alec nodded, slightly impressed by Simon’s words. He clearly put much thought on this issue and it just reminded Alec why he was so happy to have Simon in their lives. He was part of their family and he made sure to protect all of them, because he wanted to, not out of obligation. On top of that, he was right. Robert and Maryse had spent years shaping their perfect image, so having it torn would destroy them, completely. They were both powerful people in the city, many eyes were watching their every move, so if one thing went wrong, the young man wasn’t sure if they’d be able to recover from it.

“So you’re suggesting that Alec comes clean about what their parents did to them?” Magnus asked.

“No, only that he threatens to do so” Simon explained. “Robert might be an homophobic jerk, but he cares about his company more than he does about his children” he added and Isabelle and Alec couldn’t help but let a cold snort come out of their mouths. “If you threaten to make his empire fall, he’ll agree to whatever you ask of him.”

Isabelle pursed her lips then sighed.

“Unfortunately, he’s right” she agreed. “We know our parents won’t allow their name to be dragged in mud” she told Alec.

“They’ll know I’m bluffing. I could never do that to them, no matter how much I despise them” he confessed.

“I’m sorry bud, but you’ll have to make them believe it” Simon insisted as he pulled a face. Alec sighed, not fully sure if he could go up to his parents and say these things he wished he’d say all these years ago. He had hoped for so long his parents would change and show some love towards their children, but they only showed disappointment and indifference. Magnus sensed his boyfriend becoming less confident by the second so he took his hands, that were on the table, between his own.

“Will you be okay, darling?” he quietly asked.

”I think so?” Alec tried. “I know it’s for the best, but…” he deeply sighed and looked at Simon. “Is Jace on board with this?” he asked him, earning a small chuckle from the man.

“Trust me, he is. He even said he’d kick you ass if you didn’t believe in yourself. Do you?”

”I-” he began but closed his mouth to take the time to think. Did he believe in himself? He knew he should, all of his loved ones were there for him, they believed in him and fully supported him, no matter what. It had taken him some time to realize but now, he wouldn’t go back to his previous self. He knew he had people to rely on, who’d stand by his side, whenever he might need it, so he had to show them how much they mattered to him. “I do, actually. I know I have all of you here to support me, so I’l be fine. No matter what happens” he smiled.

His sister sent him a large smile and looked at Simon, as she put one of her hands on his, feeling happy to see how he had managed to convince her brother.

“We have faith in you, Alec, we know you can do it” she assured him. He smiled even widely and nodded, as he was starting to gather up his courage. Confronting both his parents at the same was not going to be easy, but he had to do it. For his siblings and for himself. He looked down at Simon and Isabelle’s hands and bit his bottom lip.

“So, have you two finally made it official?” he asked them.

“Yes, we have” Isabelle confirmed as she smiled to Simon.

“Good, I’m happy for you” Alec said. “Though, I have to warn you Si, if you hurt her…”

“You’ll kill me and hide my body so no one could ever find it. Don’t worry, I know.”

“Glad we understand each other” he joked and felt lighter than ever. If this type of moments was what he should expect from his future, he couldn’t wait to get to them.

*******

“Alec! I’m so happy to see you, even if the setting could be better” Lydia greeted him as he walked up to her, Magnus by his side. “Mr. Bane, I didn’t know you’d be a part of the meeting as well.”

“I’m not, my dear. I’m just here for moral support” he smiled.

“Your parents are waiting for you in your father’s office, Alec” Lydia added.

“Thank you, Lyds. We should catch up some time” he offered.

“Yeah, we definitely should” she agreed. “Mr Bane, feel free to wait in the waiting room on the left whenever you feel like it.”

“Thank you, Miss Branwell” he said. Lydia sent him a final smile before sitting down again at her desk. Alec turned to Magnus and let out a deep sigh, as if to let out all of his worries.

“You’ll be fine, Alexander. Just go in there, be strong and confident as I know you can be, and everything will be okay. I’ll be right here waiting for you” he encouraged him.

“Thank you, for being here” Alec sighed.

“I’ll always be there for you. Now, ready?”

“Yeah.”

Magnus took his head into his hands to kiss his forehead, then smiled at him.

“I believe in you.”

Alec nodded one last, before Magnus let him go, and walked to his father’s office. He knocked on the door and entered when he instructed him to do so. His mother was standing next to his father, in a deep blue dress, head held up high and her face didn’t show any emotion. Same thing for his father, who was sitting at his desk. He even looked a bit bored by the situation already. Alec swallowed and sat down in front of them, feeling the pressure grow, but determined to stay strong and confident.

“Why did you ask to see us?” his mother asked immediately.

“Because I have demands, and you’re going to listen to them” Alec stated.

“Why should I even listen to what you have to say?” Robert replied.

“If you don’t want to face a monumental scandal in the press, you’d better listen to me” his son retaliated. Robert clenched his jaw and was about to spit out an answer, but Maryse didn’t let him.

“Talk” she instructed her son.

“You both hate me, that’s given fact. It used to destroy me on the inside, but I’ve made my peace with it. You’re never going to change, so what’s the point in trying to make you change” Alec began.

“I don’t see the relevance of this” Robert spat out.

“I want Isabelle, Jace and I to be able to see Max, whenever we want to, and especially whenever he wants to” he declared. “Two of your sons almost die, because you didn’t take care of them, how does that make you feel?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Jace is not our son” Maryse replied.

“Legally he is, and he’s my brother just as much as Max is” Alec countered. “I’ve tried my best to keep them safe and out of the public eye, not for your sake, but for theirs. However, I will not hesitate to bring you both down for being terrible human beings if I have to, and I’ll make you lose everything you have” he explained.

“You wouldn’t dare” Robert snickered.

“Watch me” Alec defied him. “I demand of you to let us deal with our lives, see each other whenever we want and not interfere in our lives. You want to keep us away from you? We’ll gladly obliged, as long as you stay away from our lives as well” he assured. “Max is not a child anymore, he’ll understand the situation, and as much as I’m sure he wishes his family could be reunited, he knows his parents are too selfish to accept their mistakes and apologise.”

“We have nothing to apologise for” Maryse stated. Alec looked at her, and wondered how his own mother could have such a reaction? She was never loving nor caring towards them, but still, she must have had some love for them somewhere.

“How can you reject your children so easily, Mom, seriously? How can you do that?” he had to ask.

“Leave your mother alone” Robert intervened.

“Right, ‘cause you’re the mastermind behind all of this” Alec said, full of resentment. “Agree to my terms, and I’ll make sure the press doesn’t hear anything about what you made us go through. Try, even once, to screw us over, and I swear to God, you’re going to regret having children altogether” he promised. Alec saw his mother shake and couldn’t help but frown, wondering if his words actually had some impact on her. But Robert quickly took the situation back intro control.

“We will let you see your brother whenever you want, it’s not like he’s such a loss” Robert began.

“Robert” his wife interrupted him. “We agree to your terms. You’ll be able to see Max whenever you or him wish to. You won’t have to go through us, or anyone. He can even sleep at your place, or Isabelle’s if he wishes to. As long as he updates me about his whereabouts.” This time, Alec looked genuinely shocked.

“Oh, you actually care about knowing where he is and what he does now?”

“I do” his mother simply answered.

One of Alec’s brows shot up, as he felt confused by this turn of events but couldn’t really keep trying to defy them. They had agreed to his requests, his siblings were free and… so was he now.

“I’m glad we have an understanding then” he simply said as he stood up. “I promise you won’t have to see me anymore. I do wish you a somewhat happy life, though.”

He looked at them one last time and turned his heels to leave the room, as he was about to open the door he heard his mother calling him.

“Alexander” she said. He frown and turned around, to look at her, but she had turned her back to him, looking out through the window. He bit his bottom lip and left the room. His mother might not be a complete lost cause, but there was nothing she could say or do that would make him change his mind about her.

*******

Alec and Magnus both thanked the waitress, when she came at their table to serve them their food and looked at each other with a small smile when she left. Magnus reached out to take Alec’s hand in his and stroke its back with his thumb.

“I’m so proud of you, Alexander.”

Alec bit his bottom lip, to hide his smile and shook his head. He did it. He managed to stand up to his parents and to tell him what he wanted, without being scared of the fall out, or what it might cost him. On the contrary, he even managed to make himself, and his siblings, happier now. They could finally see each other, all of them, enjoy their time together and not be scared of… anything.

“Thank you” Alec said as he held on tighter on Magnus’s hand. “I couldn’t have done it without you, or Isabelle, or Jace…”

“Or Clary, or even Simon” Magnus completed. “There are many people who love and care about you, Alexander. It was about time you realise it.”

“Hey, it might have taken me quite some time, but now, I do know that I have people to rely on, anytime I need it” he explained.

“I’m proud of you” Magnus said before eating one of his fries. Alec quickly imitated him, feeling hungry himself but couldn’t shake his need to ask something.

“Do you know what you’re going to tell your dad?” Alec asked. Magnus slowly chewed the fries in his mouth and swallowed them, before biting his bottom lip.

“I’m sure I’ll come up with something” he vaguely answered.

“Magnus. You do not have to face him today, if you’re not ready for it. No one will blame you, especially not me.”

“I’ll be fine, Alexander” Magnus quietly said.

“Magnus. Don’t put up a brave face for me. Are you sure you want to go through with it?” he insisted. He might have been able to face his parents, but he had years of preparation. Magnus shared a rocky relationship with his father for years, but it only had been a few days since he found out the entire truth, so there was no way he could be fully ready to face his father. Alec couldn’t allow him to get hurt again.

“If I don’t do it now, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to it in the future” Magnus admitted. “Seeing what you did today inspired me to do the same. So, I’ll do it and see what the future will bring.”

Alec took one of his hands and brought it to his lips. Magnus smiled softly at the gesture, feeling all the care and tenderness from Alec’s gestures.

“I’ll be with you, every step of the way” he promised.

“I know you will, Alexander, and I thank you for that” he truthfully answered. “Now, let’s eat, we’ll need the strength to face my father.”

*******

Alec and Magnus stepped out of the elevator, tightly holding hands. This simple gesture helped Magnus more than he could admit. He hadn’t seen his father since he found out he was the reason his mother had taken her own life and that he had been pushing him away, out of guilt, instead of protecting him and loving him through it all. He didn’t know what he was going to say to him, or even if he’d be able to say anything, truly. He might go in there, freeze and not say talk because he was scared. He couldn’t even think straight at the moment, so how was he going to be able to talk to his father?

They reached Asmodeus’ door and both sighed deeply.

“Are you going to be okay?” Alec asked. Magnus turned his head towards him and smiled weakly.

“I have to. I’m sure I’ll talk to him, but I want to be there for you” he answered.

“Thank you” Alec whispered back before kissing his forehead. Magnus held his hand tighter, sending all the strength and courage he might need, and Alec rang the bell and held onto Magnus’ hand even tighter. Asmodeus opened the door and both his brows went up when he saw his son and his assistant the door.

“Alec, Magnus. What are you…”

“We need to talk about my future in this company” he immediately stated. He had no idea where his courage was coming from but he sure was going to hold onto it. He knew Asmodeus respected him as a person and as a employee, but their current situation was unclear. Asmodeus seemed to understand him and instructed them to come in. Magnus walked close to Alec, feeling uneasy. It had been a long time since he step foot in this loft and he didn’t like how it made him feel. Asmodeus was clearly working on something, as many documents were scattered on the coffee table, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

Asmodeus instructed Alec and him to sit down on the couch, while he sat on the armchair, on the other side of the coffee table. His father looked at him but Magnus didn’t meet his gaze and looked at his hands holding Alec’s. Asmodeus understood his son might not be ready to talk to him yet so he turned his attention to Alec.

“How are you?” Asmodeus simply asked.

“That’s not the question right now, I…”

“Alec. Your father disrespected you and belittled you publicly. I want to know how you’re feeling?” he insisted. Alec sighed and looked to the side, hating how Asmodeus knew him so well.

“Better than two days ago” he answered. “I finally stood up to my parents and managed to get my family situation back on track so, everything is looking good now.”

“Good. I’m glad you managed to reach that point in your life” Asmodeus smiled.

“Now, it’d be good if I knew where I am with my job. Do I even have one?”

“Do you want to keep working for the company?”

“Of course, I do! You know I love working for you” Alec admitted.

“Then how would you feel about a promotion?”

“What?” Alec immediately replied. He had hoped for a promotion, that’s for sure, but he didn’t think Asmodeus would be the one suggesting it first. Even Magnus seemed surprised.

“I’ve been thinking about your role in the company for the last four years, the way you evolved, the way you know the company almost as well as I do, I’ve checked your degrees again, I thought of your skills, the way you deal with difficult situations…”

“Mr Bane” Alec interrupted him. “What position are you thinking about?”

Asmodeus sent him a large smile.

“How would you feel about becoming the new CFO? Barnes has been thinking of retiring soon and I know you’d be perfect for the job.”

Alec blinked, multiple times, as he was trying to make sure this situation was real, and God, it was. Asmodeus really was offering him a high position. A position he dreamed of having one day. It was a long shot, and many board members might not be entirely happy about it but Alec could make them see how fitted he was for the job, right? He could feel Magnus’ hands clenching his, but this all felt so surreal.

“You want me to be your CFO?” he still asked, because he had to be sure.

“I do. I know you have all the skills, the knowledge and the determination to do a great job at this position. So, if you want it, it’s yours. Though, I will need your help to find a new assistant” Asmodeus still joked.

Alec chuckled lightly.

“I’ll help you with that. Thank you, sir, for trusting me with this” he added, stretching a hand that Asmodeus shook.

“I’ve seen you grow, Alec. I know what type of man you are, so I know this position was made for you” he stated.

“I will not disappoint you, sir.”

“I know you won’t” Asmodeus assured. He then looked at his son, who was staring back at him. He didn’t know what to say, or what to begin with, but he had to say something. He had to try and fix this situation too.

“Magnus, I hope you…”

“I don’t forgive you” Magnus cut him off.

Asmodeus clenched his jaw and nodded slowly.

“I don’t expect you to.”

“Trust me, I despise you deeply. However, you always made sure I had a roof above my head, that I was well-fed, that I had everything I needed. Well, except for my father’s love of course” he couldn’t help but ironised.

Asmodeus sighed and looked down at his hands.

“I couldn’t face you and act like a proper father after what I had done” he admitted.

“Guilt’s a bitch, isn’t?” Magnus replied. “I will still be a part of this project you offered me, but so help me God if you ever lie to me about anything, are we clear?” he added in a harsh tone.

“Yes, son” Asmodeus quickly agreed.

“Do not call me that. I might tolerate your presence, but I won’t see you as my father before a very long time” Magnus said between his teeth.

“I’ll make sure to earn it then” Asmodeus quietly added. Alec looked at the two men and understood they both had said their piece, and that he needed to get Magnus out of there. Quickly. So he stood up, Magnus imitating him as their hands were still linked and nodded at Asmodeus, who stood up as well.

“I’ll see you on Monday, sir.”

“You will. And Alec” he called him out when they both started to walk towards the door. “I can see and sense that you’re happier. I’m truly happy for you, you deserve it.” That simple sentence made him feel even happier. He had spent so many years being sad, feeling down and unworthy of any form of happiness that hearing someone he looked up to say these words meant everything to him.

“Thank you, sir.”

He sent a last smile to his boss and exited the loft with Magnus and they both let out a breath, they didn’t realise they were holding when they reached the elevator.

“I need a drink” Magnus let out. Alec chuckled lightly, ran a hand through his hair and Magnus leaned onto the touch.

“How about I give you a massage instead?” he suggested. Magnus turned his head to meet Alec’s gaze and there was this little spark that made him smile.

“I won’t say no to having your hands on my body” he replied. Alec let out a true laugh, feeling happy and lighter now that Magnus was feeling himself again. They had both let go of their demons, they both felt happy with their choices and things were looking bright for them.

“Then we better get to your place” Alec said with a sly smile.

*******

The next day, Alec, Isabelle, Simon and Magnus were waiting outside the medical facility, where Jace had spend the last few months. They had stood there many times before, each time hoping this time was the one, but they always ended up coming back. This time however, with Magnus by his side, Isabelle and Simon holding each other’s hands, Alec could feel a different vibe around him. Like the grounds had shifted and things were truly changing for the better. So hopefully, everything would change for Jace as well.

The blond man came out of the building, Clary holding his free hand. The red-haired girl was glowing. Alec could see how happy and how proud of Jace she felt. She had been there for him for so long, Alec knew she was in for the long-run. Jace had found the perfect woman to spend the rest of his days with, and Alec couldn’t wait to see them grow together.

They finally reached the small group and Jace immediately went to hug his brother.

“I can’t believe I’m finally out” Jace whispered to his ear.

“I’m so proud of you, brother” Alec whispered back. He clapped his back and detached himself from him, before Isabelle went out to hug him as well.

“I’ve missed you” she told him.

“Missed you too, Izzy” Jace assured. She let go of him, and Jace hugged Simon too. Alec brought Magnus closer to him and sent him a reassuring smile. Jace looked at them and sent an amused smile to Magnus.

“Magnus, so nice to finally meet you” Jace teased. Alec rolled his eyes, slightly blushing, while Manus chuckled.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Jonathan” he replied. Jace frowned and sent a questioning look to Alec.

“He likes to call people by their full names, don’t fight it” he simply said. Clary chuckled lightly and went to kiss Jace’s cheek.

“Magnus, I’m really happy to meet you and I wish I could stay, but Simon and I need to head to work, our boss wants to see us” she explained.

“Everything okay?” Jace worried, but Clary dismissed it with a nod.

“Luke just made it clear he needed to talk to us” she said. “We’ll meet you for lunch, though” she added. Alec nodded as he hugged Magnus closer to him.

“We’ll be in Max’s room, I’ll text you the number” he informed her. Clary sent him a smile then hugged Jace and Jace held her a bit tighter than he did with his siblings. They seemed to share a quiet exchange, while Simon kissed Isabelle goodbye. Clary kissed Jace one last time and waved at the group, as she followed Simon to his car.

“See you later, guys” Simon said before getting in his car. Alec helped Jace get his luggage in the trunk, then they all got in the car. Isabelle and Jace in the backseat, Alec behind the wheel and Magnus on the passenger’s seat.

“So, where are we going?” Jace asked.

“To go visit someone who really needs to see us” Isabelle smiled.

*******

Max grunted, feeling his head pounding. Judging by the smell, he knew he was still at the hospital and sighed. All he wanted at the moment was to go back home, he knew he wouldn’t be able to see his siblings, but at least he’d be in a safe place. He eventually slowly opened his eyes and met hazel ones. Alec sent him a large smile and Max tried to send him one too. He looked to the side and saw Jace sitting next to Alec, and Clary standing behind him. His smile grew bigger, when he felt a hand go through his hair. He turned his head to the side and saw Isabelle and Simon, both smiling at him.

“Hey there” Simon said.

“Guys, what are you doing here?” Max managed to ask, with a sore throat. Alec and Isabelle helped him sit up, before Alec handed him a glass of water. He drank all of it and Alec took it again to put it away.

“Well, we had to come and see our little brother” Alec told him, holding his hand.

Max chuckled lightly and held his hand tighter. The teenager had hoped his siblings would come see him, and spend some time with him, to cheer him up and make him feel better, but he knew it wouldn’t last long, considering how their parents were adamant on the fact that they didn’t want them to interact in any way possible. So he needed to make the most of it and catch up with his siblings.

“Jace, are you finally cured?” he asked the blond one.

“Cured and ready to start my life again” he nodded.

“I’m glad” he sincerely answered. “I’m so happy you’re all here, I-” he bit his lower lip and cleared throat. “Guys, I’m so sorry I…”

Alec held up his hand and shook his head.

“You don’t need to apologize. We need to talk about why you did it, and get you help if you need it, but you don’t have to apologize” he reassured him. Alec could understand that his little bother felt helpless. They’ve been in this situation for so long, and Max was able to understand what was going around him now, so Alec always knew he’d end up doing something about it. Clearly, he never imagined his brother would put his own life on the line like that, but he was alive and well now, that was all that mattered. If Max needed help, he’d do whatever he could to help him, just like he did with Isabelle and Jace, especially now that he wasn’t alone anymore.

The door opened and Magnus came him, with a big smile on his face and holding take-out bags.

“I brought food!” he exclaimed, before putting the bags onto the table that was set on one side of the room.

“How did you get that in here?” Alec asked, chuckling.

Magnus sent him a sly smile and tilted his head to the side as he walked up to him.

“I may someone who works here and let me bring it” he simply explained. He put his hands on Alec’s shoulders and smiled at Max, who was looking at him.

“You must be Magnus” he stated.

“And you, young Max” Magnus replied. “I’m happy to meet you.”

“Same. It’s nice to finally see in you in person after so many years” Max joked, making everyone except Alec snicker, while Magnus looked confused.

“I don’t understand.”

“Alec has been talking about you for years” Jace told him. Magnus’s brows shot up before he leaned down to put his chin onto Alec’s shoulder.

“Really now?” he teased him. Alec blushed furiously, embarrassed to be put on the spot like this by his family and looked at Isabelle.

“Could we please, get back on the topic?” he pleaded. Magnus straightened up, as Izzy nodded and turned to Max to cup his cheek.

“The four of us will be able to see each other whenever we want, now” she told him.

Max’s eyes widened a bit, clearly confused by her words.

“What? How?” was all he managed to say.

“Alec may have told mom and dad to politely go to hell and let us do what we want” Jace explained, a proud smile on his face. Max turned to Alec, who was biting his lip, trying to hide his pride.

“No way” Max muttered. “Damn, can’t believe I missed that” he said, his voice full of gratefulness and pride. Alec held his hand even tighter, sending him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you'll see plenty of Alexander standing up for you guys, from now on” Magnus intervened.

Alec tilted his head to the side, to touch Magnus’ hand with his cheek then turned his head to kiss it. Magnus leaned on to kiss the top of his head and put his arms around his shoulders. Alec let out a small sigh, feeling the entire weight that had been on his shoulders just go away in this instant. The last days had been really helpful and made him feel better about all the things he had spent so much time worrying about. However, being there, surrounded by the most important people in his life was all he ever wanted and he needed. And now, he knew he could have this all the time and no one could come between him and his happiness, because, for the first time in his life, he was truly and completely happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little extra waiting for you, next :)


	6. Right here, right now, I’m looking at you and my heart loves the view, ‘cause you mean everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little glimpse at Malec's future :)
> 
> Title from ‘Right Here, Right Now’ from High School Musical 3.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Alec rolled around in the bed and scratched his head, trying to figure out why he was already awake. He knew they were on a Saturday, meaning he didn’t have to work unless something absolutely urgent required his attention and, it was Magnus’ birthday. He smiled and slowly opened his eyes, feeling happy at the idea of spending this special day with the man he loved. Three years had passed since they had really began their relationship, since there were no more secrets between them and since Alec had discovered how happy someone could live their life. The two of them had opened up to the other, had became more honest about their feelings. It wasn’t always easy, they’d had their fair share of fights, neither wanting to admit what was really going on, but they had also learned that talking things out was the right way to get over something. Now, they took the time to talk and tell the other when things were getting complicated and their relationship was only getting stronger by the day.

Magnus was currently laying on his stomach, his arms under his pillow, which was hiding most of his face. Alec bit his lip, not wanting to let a chuckle out, and slid closer to Magnus. He put his hand on the middle of his back and stroke it lightly. He slowly leaned in and kiss Magnus’ cheek, his ear, his neck, his shoulder, his bicep, then went back to his face and kissed his forehead. He felt Magnus stir under him and smiled at him when he leaned back and saw one of his eyes open.

“Good morning” Alec said quietly.

“Good morning, handsome” Magnus replied, his voice full of sleep. Alec couldn’t help but admire how beautiful his boyfriend was. Still not fully believing such a man chose to be with him. It amazed Alec sometimes, to think a man like Magnus, who could have anyone in the world, decided to chose him. Him who didn’t have much to offer but who, somehow, managed to make Magnus happy just as he was making him happy.

“I love you” Alec whispered. Magnus smiled tenderly, used to having Alec so gentle and ready to express his love in many ways in the morning.

“I love you too” he answered.

“You’re sure about that?” Alec teased him.

Magnus rolled his eyes, knowing he was mainly teasing him but that there was still a part of him who couldn’t believe this was all happening, even after all these years. But Magnus loved to reming Alec how important he was to him.

“I guess I might need some convincing” he decided to tease him too, and it worked since Alec laughed softly.

“Oh yeah?” he asked. Magnus turned around, to lay on his back, as Alec came closer to his and cupped his cheek. He looked at his, straight in the eyes, and Magnus felt his heart flutter. It always made him weak, to see the amount of love present in Alec’s eyes or in the small gestures in their everyday life. If Alec didn’t think he deserved to be happy, Magnus never thought he’d be loved the way Alec loved him. After everything that happened with his father, after believing his own mother hated him, he couldn’t believe someone as pure as Alec loved him this much. That he had chosen to love him this much. Magnus put his hand on Alec’s one which was on his cheek and stroke the back of it with his thumb.

Alec leaned in and kissed him slowly. Both of them still had their morning breaths and that was something Magnus usually hated, but there was some mornings during which they both needed to share this short moment of intimacy, to show each other how much they loved each other. They always used these moments to say the small things they couldn’t put words on and it worked, as they always detached themselves from each other, with smiles on their faces, and this morning was no exception.

“Happy birthday baby” Alec whispered.

“Thank you, angel” Magnus smiled. Alec bit his bottom lip, as a blush grew on his cheeks, like every time Magnus called him like that and he laid on his back, and turned his head to looked at Magnus, who had taken his hand.

“Actually, I should thank you for being born and blessing my existence with your life everyday, and letting me be a part of it” he replied. Magnus laughed out loud and Alec’s heart tighten, when he saw this pure joy and happiness on Magnus’s face.

“Now you’re just being sappy” Magnus teased him. He slid closer to him and put his head on his chest, while Alec put an arm around him, bringing him even closer. They spent a few minutes, just laying there, listening to each other’s breaths and Magnus paying attention to Alec’s heartbeat, as it always managed to relax him. Eventually, Magnus started talking again.

“You do realize I am just as thankful to be part of your life, Alexander?” he said quietly.

Alec kissed the top of his head.

“You saved me, Magnus. I don’t think I would have managed to be this happy in my life if it weren’t for you” he replied.

“Trust me, I’d be just as miserable, darling” Magnus admitted.

Alec chuckled.

“Don’t call me that” he told him, an amused smile on his face.

Magnus looked up and met Alec’s gaze.

“You don’t like it, angel?”

“I prefer that one” he answered.

“Why’s that?” Magnus genuinely asked.

“Because I’m the only one you call like that” Alec confessed.

Magnus felt his heart melt and hid his face against Alec’s neck, trying to hide the huge smile growing on his face. Alec always managed to say small things like that, that swept Magnus off his feet and made him feel butterflies in his stomach. Alec might have some trouble admitting how he felt, but sometimes, he’d just be bluntly honest about his feelings, like right now, and Magnus never knew what to say.

“I love you” Magnus only managed to get out, earning a laugh from Alec.

“Who’s being sappy, now?” he teased him.

“Shut up” Magnus groaned. Alec laughed quietly and kissed the top of his head.

“I love you too” he answered.

Magnus put his head up and looked at him.

“Good, you’d better, or I’ll kick you out of my bed so fast it’ll make your head spin” he fake-threatened him.

“It’s not yours, it’s ours” Alec countered. “You asked me to move in with you, like six months ago?”

“Such a terrible mistake” Magnus sighed, shaking his head.

“You love having me and Church here” Alec insisted.

“Church certainly is a great addition to the loft” Magnus admitted.

Alec sent him a crooked smile, enjoying how Magnus was trying to stay on his positions, and decided to change his tactics.

“I might have believed you if I hadn’t made you scream my name last night” he simply said.

Magnus gasped, truly surprised by Alec’s reply and started laughing.

“Alexander, when did you get so shameless?”

Alec put both his arms around him and brought him closer to his chest.

“One of the side effets of dating a certain Magnus Bane, it’s bringing out my shameless side, it’s not pretty” he explained.

“Well, I personally think all your sides are pretty” Magnus answered, and it was Alec’s turn to be speechless.

“You did not just say that” he snickered.

Magnus put out his tongue, making Alec smile even more.

“It’s my birthday, I get to say whatever I want” he said.

“You do” Alec accepted, already knowing it was a lost battle. “I love you.”

“I love you more” Magnus replied and Alec rolled his eyes.

“We’re not having this conversation again” he warned him.

“There’s no conversation to be had, I’m right” Magnus assured and Alec smiled, already smelling a challenge ahead.

“Oh, yeah? Wanna bet?”

“Amaze me, Alexander.”

Oh, he was definitely going to prove his point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


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